There’s a big hole where a key Man United coach should be, it’s already cost them millions - opinion
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The story in brief
16-second readManchester United missed out on hiring Aaron Danks as a coach, which could have improved their tactical performance. The club had considered making interim coach Michael Carrick's role permanent, and he had wanted Danks to join his technical bench. Danks has since impressed as Bayern Munich's interim head coach, guiding them to a 2-0 win over Atlético Madrid.

The full picture
Manchester United missed out on hiring Aaron Danks as a coach, which could have improved their tactical performance. The club had considered making interim coach Michael Carrick's role permanent, and he had wanted Danks to join his technical bench. Danks has since impressed as Bayern Munich's interim head coach, guiding them to a 2-0 win over Atlético Madrid. The win was attributed to Danks' guidance, with Bayern controlling the game and creating scoring opportunities.
The absence of Danks has been felt at Manchester United, with their tactical acumen coming under scrutiny this season. With Danks on board, the team might have become sharper at pressing and vertical play. Bayern, under Danks' guidance, have shown a different approach, relying on direct play and staying compact between the lines. This has led to speculation that United could have performed better in the Champions League.
The failure to hire Danks has potentially cost Manchester United financially, with a reported £2.1 million loss due to not winning a Champions League match. The club is now urged to surround Carrick with strong tactical voices, having chosen to stick with him as their coach. One suggested appointment is a dedicated set-piece coach, as the team has lost their edge in this area since Carlos Fernándes left.
At a glance
- Reporting status
- Reported
- Original publisher
- The Peoples Person ↗
- Source published
- Clubs covered
- Manchester United, Bayern Munich
Attributed publisher reporting. Kickjolly has not independently confirmed the claim.
Source context
Watching Bayern Munich’s total domination of Atlético Madrid at the Metropolitano, and realising that the man who guided the Bavarians to a 2-0 win could have been sitting on Manchester United’s technical bench, should leave any United fan feeling distinctly frustrated. Manuel Neuer described the performance as total domination, and the numbers supported the eye test. Despite missing Vincent Kompany and several key attackers, Bayern controlled the game with 59 per cent possession, 19 shots to Atlético’s nine, and an xG advantage of 1.8 to 0.8. Their intense high press produced 58 recoveries and 30 tackles, pinning Atlético back, forcing the errors that led to both goals, and delivering the first German away win at the ground since 1996.
Source excerpt · The Peoples Person
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2 reports grouped by topic; up to eight shown, newest first. Compare the original reports below; they may describe different developments or rely on the same information. Grouping does not establish confirmation.
The Peoples Person · reported · 2026-11-05 20:00 UTC
There’s a big hole where a key Man United coach should be, it’s already cost them millions ↗
Watching Bayern Munich’s total domination of Atlético Madrid at the Metropolitano, and realising that the man who guided the Bavarians to a 2-0 win could have been sitting on Manchester...
The Peoples Person · reported · 2026-11-05 20:00 UTC
There’s a big hole where a key Man United coach should be, it’s already cost them millions - opinion ↗
Aaron Danks' tactical impact at Bayern Munich highlights Manchester United's missed opportunity to strengthen Michael Carrick's coaching staff.
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