People thought Erik ten Hag would be fired as Manchester United boss this summer, but the win over Manchester City in the FA Cup final has made Sir Jim Ratcliffe think again.
Erik ten Hag, the manager of Manchester United, has been given a second chance by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who is still thinking about whether to fire the Dutchman. Many people thought that Ten Hag would be fired at Old Trafford this summer after the club’s terrible eighth-place finish in the Premier League, which was the worst ever in that league.
But a thrilling win over Manchester City in the FA Cup final earned a spot in the Europa League for next year and gave Ratcliffe something to think about. Ratcliffe is in charge of a major overhaul at United. He has hired a new CEO, sports director, and technical director, and the club has cut its staff by a huge amount.
The petroleum tycoon bought United’s sports department for £1.3 billion, which is 27.7% of the club. He is sure he can get things back on track.
While Ten Hag was on vacation, he may have been waiting for bad news because he knew that Ratcliffe and his INEOS team, which includes Sir Dave Brailsford and United’s acting CEO Jean-Claude Blanc, were doing a review after the season. They are taking their time, though, making the choice.
The end of the season gave the leaders of INEOS a break, and they used it to talk with managers of possible Ten Hag successors. INEOS makes decisions in a methodical way, which is clear from Ratcliffe’s comments after buying United in February.
“We had to be careful we avoid jumping at it in a way,” said he. “You want to avoid running to the wrong answer rather than walk to the correct solution.”
With one year left on his contract, Ten Hag often says that United’s poor league success is due to injuries in the team. “If they don’t want me anymore, I go somewhere else and win trophies; that’s what I’ve done my whole career,” the 54-year-old said with determination after his stunning win at Wembley.
The goals made by 19-year-olds Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo in this win seem to have changed people’s minds about the team, showing a bright future.
Over the past few weeks, INEOS has talked with agents of Thomas Frank, Thomas Tuchel, Mauricio Pochettino, Roberto De Zerbi, Gareth Southgate, and Kieran McKenna about possible alternatives to Ten Hag. However, McKenna is no longer in the running because he promised his future to Ipswich.
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