The reign of Erik ten Hag at Man United has been a strange one indeed.
A first season that included a Carabao Cup win, an FA Cup final appearance and winning the power struggle with Cristiano Ronaldo could be said to have been a big success.
However, fast forward 12 months and it seems the Dutchman is hanging onto this job by a thread.
Bombed out of Europe entirely after finishing bottom of their Champions League group – which included Copenhagen – the Red Devils have been poor in a number of matches this season.
Not least the FA Cup semi-final against Coventry City when only the smallest of VAR margins stopped them from losing 4-3 after being 3-0 up at one stage.
A number of players have underwhelmed with a lack of leadership on and off the pitch self evident.
With all of the above in mind, not to mention the Dutchman’s awkwardness in front of the TV cameras and issues with playing staff (Sancho, Rashford et al), it wouldn’t be a surprise to see ten Hag relieved of his duties at the end of the current campaign.
However, in what can only be described as an unbelievable u-turn, it appears that ten Hag has earned a stay of execution at the club.
The Athletic (subscription required) note that due to the cost of sacking him and the fact that the club don’t believe there are credible alternatives available at this time, ten Hag will be retained for the 2024/25 season, at the end of which his contract would be due for renewal – or not.
That’s a huge decision for INEOS to be making, considering how passive the Red Devils have been in many games this season.
Leadership from the bench appears to have been in short supply too, and it will be interesting to see how the first team react to the news.
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