When referee Andy Madley blew the final whistle to confirm Manchester United’s 13th FA Cup win there would have been explosions of joy, delirium even, among the club’s supporters all over the world and at the red corner of Wembley Stadium on Saturday.
Inside that Wembley there would also would have been mixed feelings amongst the club’s top hierarchy following this improbable victory over Double chasing Manchester City. Joy at the acquisition of silverware at the end of a truly wretched season but now perhaps confusion on what to do to a manager who has won two trophies in two seasons at the football club. But also, a manager who has guided the club to their lowest position in the league and a -1GD.
Erik ten Hag arrived at Manchester United two summers ago after a quite chaotic 2022 season in which United started with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, replaced by Michael Carrick for three matches and then Ralf Rangnick.
Ten Hag’s first season ended with a Carabao Cup win over Newcastle and 3rd place in the league. Marcus Rashford recovered from that chaotic season to score more than 30 goals in all competitions for ten Hag’s side. However, looking at the matches in that season would reveal NINE league defeats and no wins at teams in the top nine of the league. Could be chalked down to a manager learning the ropes in a new country and working environment.
In my book, the worst decision Ed Woodward took in his time as the head honcho at Manchester United was when eight years ago following an FA Cup win, he chose to sack another former Ajax manager, Louis Van Gaal.
To make the call even worse was that it was to hire a manager who had been sacked at his previous club only a few months earlier because that club was hurtling towards the bottom of the premier league table!
Back to ten Hag and the current situation with the new football “structure” being set up at the club. There is absolutely no way they will decide based solely on Saturday’s FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
The facts are stacked (and stark) against ten Hag. Manchester United lost 14 league games, scored only 57 while conceding 58. Manchester United finished bottom of a Champions League group that contained Bayern Munich, Copenhagen and Galatasaray with ONE win and THREE defeats.
The opening match of the Premier League season against Wolves in which United pilfered a 1-0 victory showed signs of what the season was to become. Wolves tore through the non-existent United midfield time and time again and were robbed of a deserved point when an Andre Onana foul was not called. Very same foul was called later in the season against Burnley.
That night set the template for every subsequent United play for majority of the season. The Cameroonian, Onana in goal, statistically the most worked goalkeeper in the league – principally a function of tactics.
Midway through the season there was an orchestrated campaign to wash ten Hag off the signings at the football club. What is staggering is that such a campaign was mounted. Christian Eriksen (Formerly of Ajax), Tyrell Malacia, Lisandro Martinez and Antony arrived from the manager’s native Holland. The latter two played for him at Ajax. He also recruited another Dutchman Wout Weighorst from Besiktas on loan in that his first season. He followed these with Onana who used to work with him at Ajax.
What kind of mind looks at these acquisitions and believes that a Dutch former Ajax manager had no say in their arrival at Manchester United?
Ten Hag has been strident in saying that injuries have affected his team and plans for the whole of the season but it was instructive to note that of the 11 that started the FA Cup final win over City, only Raphael Varane and Martinez had been missing for considerable periods. The Argentine playing only 11 matches in the league.
Ten Hag has shown a stubbornness in refusing to adapt to the league he is in. He was the only person watching football who still had any belief that Antony was good enough at this level. The clear favouritism must have rankled in the squad.
Tactically, this is a man who still believed in man-marking in midfield and for long periods felt that Eriksen (in this his veteran stage) was strong and athletic enough to compete in a physically demanding league as this one.
It is very hard to make a case for ten Hag keeping his job but it is just as hard the case for sacking a manager who has won two trophies in two seasons.
What would be very wrong is for the club to keep him but do not give him the required funds to get players in the summer, and make it worse by making it appear like every match next season is a trial. If he is to stay, then he must stay with full backing to the end of the 2024/2025 season.
We can discuss further here or follow me on X (Twitter) @CalvinEmeka to continue
Well written article Calvin. If he stays I will be approaching every match with trepidation next season as his decisions on and off the field have not been confidence inspiring. I understand the bit about if he stays then back him with funds for players, the conundrum here are the personnel decisions he has made over the last two seasons. If I were his bosses I would find it hard to trust him with funds.
I wish the club the best in this decision making process.