Manchester United have decided to part ways with Manager Eric Ten Hag regardless of the outcome of the FA Cup final against rivals Manchester City.
Suppose the club does decide to fire the Dutch tactician, this will be the most momentous decision that minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe will have taken since he assumed responsibility for operations at the English giants.
This decision will be similar to the one the club took in 2016 by parting with Louis Van Gaal, despite the coach leading the team to winning the FA Cup that season.
And now, reports in the English media claim that even lifting the trophy against their crosstown rivals will not be enough to save Ten Hag’s job.
This will be a significant move for Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his partners since his company Ineos agreed to purchase a minority stake from the much-reviled Glazer brothers.
Manchester United appointed Eric Ten Hag two years ago. Reports say that the club has been forced to make this decision after a torrid season that saw the club finish eighth in the just-concluded league season.
This will be Manchester United’s lowest finish in a season since 1990.
Ten Hag joined Manchester United with his reputation high after his exploits with Dutch club Ajax Amsterdam.
However, the team has struggled this season, with many fans losing faith in him.
Should United beat the odds and triumph against the Manchester City juggernaut, they will sneak their way into Europe next season. However, they will have to do so with a new man in the dugout, with Ten Hag’s fate already sealed.
Ten Hag has already intimated that he had met with Sir Jim to review the disastrous season. However, it seems that the minority owner was not convinced by whatever reasons were laid out.
The manager has had to deal with a slew of injuries to important players throughout the season. Stars like defender Lisandro Martinez, Left-back Tyrell Malacia, and the outgoing Raphael Varane have missed huge chunks of the games due to various injuries.
In the past, the manager has expressed his frustration at the club’s medical team for not managing player injuries better. The team had to poach Gary O’Driscoll from Arsenal to address the issue.
Eric Ten Hag
Star striker Marcus Rashford meanwhile, has had an alarming dip in off, coupled with off-field disciplinary issues.
Ten Hag also missed out on Harry Kane, his top striker target. He instead had to settle for young striker Rasmus Hojlund. However, the striker has struggled for form.
Ten Hag has also had to contend with criticism leveled at him for some of the signings he has made since joining Manchester United. Anthony, who joined from Ajax for a reported 70 million pounds has struggled for form. Mason Mount, signed from Chelsea, is yet to justify the fee he was signed for.
Meanwhile, Casemiro who was the team’s rock in the midfield one season ago after joining from Real Madrid, has struggled for form in the last season.
Candidates Who Could Replace Ten Hag at Manchester United
Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his team will now start looking for a suitable candidate to replace the outgoing Dutchman.
Reports say that they are looking at Thomas Tuchel, who parted ways with Bayern Munich recently. The club is also considering Mauricio Pochettino, who was recently fired by Chelsea. Ipswich Town’s Kieran McKenna, Brentford tactician Thomas Frank, and England Manager Gareth Southgate are also in the frame.
Tuchel is at the top of the list at the moment. The club has also reportedly held tentative talks with McKenna, whose stock is high after leading Ipswich Town to promotion. Chelsea are also in the race for McKenna’s signature.
In addition to his team finishing eighth in the league, Eric Ten Hag also had to deal with the indignity of Manchester United finishing last in their Champions League group.
He did lead his charges to an electrifying 4-3 win against Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-finals, but such good results have been too far in between.
