ERIK TEN HAG’s future at Manchester United appears to be intact – at least until next week when club chiefs will reportedly conduct a season review.
Ten Hag masterminded a 2-1 win over Manchester City in Saturday’s FA Cup final to see the Red Devils lift the trophy for the 13th time in their history.
The victory also ensured Man Utd qualified for the Europa League next season, bumping Chelsea down to the Europa Conference League and Newcastle out of European football entirely.
But much like it was for fellow Dutchman Louis van Gaal back in 2016, it may have been Ten Hag‘s swansong at Man Utd.
Widespread reports beforehand suggested Ten Hag is set to be sacked regardless of the result.
When quizzed about his future following the Wembley showpiece, the 54-year-old said he “didn’t know” whether he would still be in charge come next season.
Red Devils chiefs have already been in contact with other potential candidates, with former assistant coach Kieran McKenna and ex-Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel among them.
However, Ten Hag’s win in the Cup may have given him a lifeline for next season ahead of Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos’ first summer in charge of the Old Trafford outfit’s football operation.
According to The Athletic, Ratcliffe and Ineos INEOS sporting director Sir Dave Brailsford intend to “objectively assess all aspects” of the campaign in the next week or so.
Despite success in the FA Cup, Ten Hag is more than aware of how the season has gone overall, calling it “rubbish” himself.
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Their lowest ever finish in the Premier League era with the second most shots faced in Europe’s top five leagues, paired with a group stage exit from the Champions League, do not make good reading.
After completing the 27.7 per cent takeover in February, Ratcliffe said on Man Utd’s troubles: “It has clearly been a difficult 11 years since Sir Alex Ferguson and David Gill retired.
“It’s not switching a light switch. It’s not just a simple short-term fix. We have to walk to the right solution, not run to the wrong one.
“The short-term issue is we want to get into the Champions League.
“It’s a two-to-three-season challenge to get the organisation and environment right, to get the performances on the field right and win football matches.
“That involves the design and structure of the organisation being correct.
“In the last 11 years, Manchester United have had a lot of coaches and nobody has been very successful in that environment. That says to me there is something wrong with the environment.
“It is not constructive for me to blame anyone, it’s just a fact. My focus is on how I change that environment to get the best out of the coach and squad.”
More recently Ten Hag has been left out to dry with a lack of public backing.
Even yesterday when asked about the manager’s future, Ratcliffe refused to answer the question.
Ten Hag himself was defiant on the subject in his post-match interview, telling reporters: “Two trophies in two seasons and three finals. That’s not bad.
“If they don’t want me any more I go somewhere else to win trophies. That is what I do.”
He added: “I am here to win and I want to build a team. My whole managerial career I have won games and trophies.”
Ten Hag was seemingly quite irritable with the persistent questioning about his relationship with his bosses, saying: “How many times do I have to tell you? Every time is the same question.
“Do I have to repeat myself 10, 15, 20 times?
“They don’t have to tell me every week if they tell me so often. I never – and I was in some clubs before – [get told] every day you are the best and I want to build with you. I heard it many times.”
On them speaking to other coaches, he said: “I don’t know if they have done this. I can’t answer this question.”
As for the success he has brought to Old Trafford compared to those before him, he said: “When you see the last decade, there were not so many finals and trophies for this club.”
The FA Cup win marked a third Wembley final and the second trophy of the Ten Hag era following the League Cup last season.
It means Ten Hag is the first manager since Ferguson to win major trophies in back-to-back seasons.
The celebrations in the dressing room were jubilant as stars got soaked in champagne and swigging cans of Carling.
Regardless, Ten Hag has already revealed he will be going on holiday following the final.
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