and believe were behind the FA accelerating talks with The former Bayern Munich and Chelsea boss as successor after agreeing an 18-month deal, starting on January 1.
The deal was actually struck last week, before the recent Nations League games against Greece and Finland. The appointment heads off any chance of Tuchel replacing under-fire United boss
Tuchel held talks with the United hierarchy in the summer, but a deal could not be agreed upon, with Ten Hag receiving a stay of execution plus a contract extension. The Dutchman is back under pressure following a torrid start to the season at Old Trafford.
But with one major potential replacement now off the market, Ten Hag could now get longer to turn things around. Ex-England strikers Lineker and Shearer believe United's continued interest hastened the FA's desire to strike a deal with Tuchel.
Speaking on podcast, Shearer said: "They've looked at Thomas Tuchel and thought there's a real live chance he'll get the Man United job pretty soon. So their opportunity lies now.
"If they didn't act quickly now, they weren't going to get one of the outstanding candidates because there's every chance that vacancy [at United] could become available soon."
Lineker has the same suspicion, saying: "Obviously, there was a big meeting at Manchester United in London with Jim Ratcliffe and all the various people that are involved. There was a lot of rumour that they were going to fire Erik ten Hag. Maybe they weren't, I don't know, I have no inside information on that.
"But we know they [United] went for Tuchel in the summer, it didn't happen. Maybe they were thinking again. And maybe the FA have gone, 'crickey, we don't want to miss out to Manchester United'. It may have pushed them, but it seems slightly odd, the timing, because he isn't going to start the job until the beginning of the year."
Lineker would have given the job to Carsley, who has been serving as interim head coach after stepping up from the under-21s. He will get two more games in charge against Greece and Ireland.
The Match of the Day host added: "I've seen enough to suggest to me that the players really trust him, that he's imaginative enough to produce something that is a joy to watch, is entertaining, that is front-foot football.
"I would have gone for Lee Carsley. I really liked him but I could tell he knew he wasn't getting the job between his first camp and sometime before the Greece game.
"I would have done that [given Carsley the job] because I've looked at the recent history of international football. The winners of the last two major tournaments [Lionel Scaloni with Argentina and Luis de la Fuente with Spain] had no real experience coaching outside the national setup."
You may also like
Taylor Swift to Launch Exclusive Black Friday Releases at Target
Britain's most tattooed mum forced to hide over Halloween as extreme ink 'scares kids'
'BJP would not have sent me jail, if I did not work for welfare of people': Arvind Kejriwal
'Rohit Bhai told me you've no idea what you've done' - Rishabh Pant gets candid on his historic Gabba innings
Defeat to win: Stunning turnaround of Omar Abdullah's political fortunes
This 85-inch Smart TV will turn your home wall into a cinema screen! Know the price and features
Maruti Suzuki Brezza Rivaling Skoda Kylaq's Safety Features Confirmed; Check Details
Bella Hadid Makes An Iconic Comeback At Victoria's Secret Fashion Show Runway After 2-Year Hiatus
Bear Grylls' quiet life with family spent on an island he owns - purchased for £95,000
UK asks India to cooperate with Canada's legal process
TN Rains: Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin distributes relief materials to sanitation workers in Chennai
SBI Investment Scheme: Saving just Rs 2500 a month will give you Rs 8 lakh, know full details
Heavy rains in Tirupati hit flight operations
BSF foils Infiltration bid along India-Bangladesh border, arrests 4 Bangladeshi with fake Aadhaar cards
Brit daredevil influencer's haunting last social media post before stunt went tragically wrong
How the MATES Program Opens Opportunities for Indian Students in Australia
Old Donald, a burger king, to fry Kamala over McDonalds
Now separatists will come together to worsen the situation in J&K: Sanjay Nishad
MUDA chief, Siddaramaiah aide K Marigowda resigns amid land scam allegations
88% of the people in the country are victims of anxiety, the condition worsens due to stress, psychologist told the 3-3-3 rule to calm the mind