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Erik ten Hag could be set for a major lifeline in his bid to stay on as Manchester United boss with a new report claiming support for the busy manager is growing among a section of the club’s bosses.
Ten Hag produced a brilliant 2-1 win at Wembley against Manchester City in the FA Cup final on Saturday.
For much of the game, the team was compact, dominated on the move and looked dangerous every time they moved forward to attack the City goal.
First-half goals from teenage duo Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo eventually proved enough for the Red Devils as they claimed silverware and ended the season on a relatively positive note.
Despite his near-flawless game plan, Ten Hag’s job is believed to remain precarious and there is a chance he could still be relieved of his duties
Sir Jim Ratcliffe was asked if the Dutchman would be in the Old Trafford dugout next season, but the INEOS billionaire dismissed the question outright.
A report from The Peoples Person reports that United will conduct a season review in the coming days. Only then will a final decision be made on Ten Haag’s future.
Amidst all this, the Red Devils continue to prepare for life without the 54-year-old manager and have already revealed potential replacements, including Kieran McKenna, Thomas Tuchel, Thomas Franco and Mauricio Pochettino. They all retain an interest in taking the United hot seat.
However, according to The Independent, it is not a foregone conclusion that United and Ten Hag will part ways, especially as there are key elements within the club who are pushing for him to be given more time to turn things around.
The paper said: “Erik ten Haag still has prominent figures in Manchester United’s new footballing hierarchy backing him, the first major test of the club’s new structure. Although the Dutch manager is in real danger of being sacked in a final review this week, the FA Cup win helped his case and strengthened existing arguments from influential decision-makers that he should stay.”
“There is an awareness among the INEOS hierarchy that sacking Ten Hag would be an unpopular decision with the fans, especially after Saturday’s win over Manchester City.”
“The club’s football figures are looking to make a cool and holistic decision on the sophisticated new way they want to run the club, however, and many of the themes that will influence this week’s final review go beyond purely football results.”
Miguel Delaney notes: “While it wouldn’t be accurate to say the structure is ‘split’ over either Ten Haag’s fate or his potential replacement, it’s more about management fully working out every aspect to make the most informed decision possible.”
One of the arguments put forward in Ten Hag’s favor is that his second season at United mirrors Mikel Arteta’s first campaign at Arsenal, where a number of changes have swept through the London side.
Another thing that works in Ten Hag’s favor is that there is sympathy for him given the sheer number of injuries and absences he has had to deal with.
There is also an acceptance that the biggest problem at United is recruitment and that is something INEOS planned to solve anyway.
Certainly, all eyes are on the top people and on what kind of actions they decide to take.
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