Erik Ten Hag is expected to return to Manchester United after the club ends its season-ending record, but what happens now?
United finished a disappointing eighth, their worst result in the Premier League era, and despite beating rivals Manchester City to win the FA Cup and Ten Hag’s second trophy in as many years, hypotheses still abound about the Dutchman’s long run after INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe took over the club’s football operations in February.
But United have now shown Ten Hag will be their manager and the 54-year-old is lately in talks with the club for an improved contract.
On how United made the decision, Sky Sports News lead journalist Kaveh Solhekol goes over all the details.
Solhekol: Be aware that it is a question of whether he fulfilled his task or not.
Man Utd have had their post-season record and have explored all options. Ten Hag won the FA Cup at the end of the season, amid widespread rumours that he was going to lose his job. As soon as the celebrations after the FA Cup defeat ended, United contacted other managers, either directly or through their representatives.
It is evidently documented that they have turned to other coaches such as Thomas Tuchel, Mauricio Pochettino and Thomas Frank.
There have been reports in the UK and Germany that Tuchel met with Sir Jim Ratcliffe in Monaco last week. We know that there have been contacts with Pochettino’s representatives. Signing Gareth Southgate is highly unlikely because he leads England at the European Championship.
United were exploring all eventualities, but in the end they stayed with Ten Hag.
While it must not have been a pleasure for Ten Hag to have enjoyed this after winning the FA Cup, he has been in football for a long time and knows how those things work.
Solhekol: United have been very transparent in saying that they are doing a post-season review and that review will be about the manager’s position.
When Ratcliffe and INEOS came along, they invested in the industry and had the right to take a look at all the spaces in the industry.
Ten Hag is someone who was inherited as manager and you could simply say that he was doing what any owner would do when entering a club, investigating all aspects of the business.
Solhekol: It can be argued that if Man Utd hadn’t won the FA Cup, Ten Hag would have lost his job.
But it can be argued that if Haji Wright hadn’t been offside in the semi-final against Coventry, he would have lost his task as well.
It’s a game with smart margins, but in a post-season review, having won the FA Cup and European football, it’s a valid argument for him to stay. Without these elements, it is difficult to present his arguments for him to stay. their position.
Solhekol: INEOS has been inspired by Ten Hag and has dealt with the progression of Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho.
INEOS will now take another direction at Man Utd and the days of spending £80m on a single player are over.
They are signing young players and Ten Hag has shown that he is the ideal type for those players.
This is one of the reasons why they have remained unwavering with him.
Solhekol: The challenge is that he only has one year left on his contract. When you’re a coach like Erik ten Hag, who has had a lot of good luck in the game, you want more security than that. He will desire more certainty in the future.
This summer, if he had left United, he could have regained control of Ajax and Bayern Munich. If he had, he would have obtained the security of a three- or four-year contract.
It is no use for Man Utd or Ten Hag to start a new season with the passage of time for the future of the coach. Any additional hypotheses about its future are necessary. If there is no new deal, United will simply postpone the managerial decision.
It’s enough for United to take inventory and say ‘we’ve explored all the scenarios and you’ll do it for now’. Ten Hag deserves more than that. He wants to be fully supported.
That will give him a contract and the security of a three- or four-year contract and send a message to the fans, to the wider network and to the United team: Ten Hag is here to stay, he is the owners’ man. it is he who takes the initiative.
It is also a vital resolution for transfers to Man Utd. Players who arrive will need to know what’s going on and be sure that a coach may not be left out after just a few months of the season.
Solhekol: If he gets his new contract, Ten Hag will have no excuse. Because Sir Jim Ratcliffe will say that he is now aware of the club’s operations.
With a new general manager, a new director and a new technical director, everything is set for Ten Hag to succeed. There are no excuses.
Obviously, United still want to paint on their educational floor and also establish Old Trafford, but plans are in position to do so.
INEOS is now in this project.
Ten Hag has kept his word. He has said that he has good relations with INEOS and we now have a clear indication that they are also willing to work with him in the long term.
The only challenge lies in the way it was conducted. There will be other people who will say that if INEOS enjoyed Ten Hag so much, why did they communicate with other managers?However, in those days, it might not be the right thing to do. Communicate with other managers in terms of football, but it’s the right thing to do in business.
INEOS has already arrived and already made many adjustments to Man Utd and there will be more, however, Ten Hag is the right user to coach the team. But I don’t think it’s as difficult as it was before INEOS came along.
Ten Hag will be pleased to keep his job, but I don’t think it’s a big reason to rejoice because I’m sure he thinks it was fixed much quicker and his position wasn’t resolved. under such scrutiny for so long.
Solhekol: It’s been a fantastic summer for Man Utd.
It’s just about the arrival of the players. It’s also about the players leaving.
Ten Hag said he was looking for a centre-back, a central midfielder and a striker.
There is also the Jadon Sancho scenario that will have to be resolved. You’d think that with Ten Hag staying, Sancho is much more likely to leave Old Trafford, unless there’s some kind of twist and peace talks with everyone to reconcile.
But in terms of transfers, I don’t think Ten Hag has the kind of influence he had before because of the new design implemented at United.
There is also a lot of uncertainty surrounding the club, as new chief executive Omar Berrada has yet to start, Dan Ashworth is in a legal dispute with Newcastle United and the move-in window is set to open on Friday.
It is good news for United that they have Jason Wilcox in their position and, now that they know that Ten Hag will be the manager, they will be on the market.