Manchester United has chosen to fire four players. Picture of author Erik ten Hag
Published at 4:48 PM on May 24, 2024
Erik ten Hag waving It looks like his time at Manchester United is up (Image: Getty).
Whatever happens in Saturday’s FA Cup final appears to be the end of Erik ten Hag’s time at Manchester United.
United’s season was unsuccessful both domestically and in Europe under the Dutchman’s leadership, as they finished ninth in the Premier League.
Ten Hag’s final opportunity to win over Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS may have been this weekend’s grand showcase event, but United’s new partial owners seem to have had enough and are poised to end the 54-year-old’s two-year tenure at the team.
Here are the four reasons why Ten Hag and United have decided to part ways as he gets ready for his farewell tour.
Metro’s Top Stories: Unwanted Records
Ten Hag’s team was expected to succeed this season after an outstanding debut campaign in which they won the Carabao Cup, advanced to the FA Cup final, and made a Champions League comeback.
Rather, the Dutchman has led the team through a gradual, often excruciating, decline that has put them back at the starting line, if not with a bigger hill to climb than when he took command in the summer of 2022.
The Red Devils’ eighth-place finish is also a club record low since 1990, and their 14 league losses are the team’s highest-ever total in the Premier League. In all competitions, a flimsy and frequently improvised defense has also let up 84 goals, their highest total since the 1976–1977 campaign.
Erik ten Hag applauds during a rainy Manchester United game. This season, United has lost more games than any other club in the Premier League (Image: Getty).
The Dutchman could feel somewhat vindicated if his team wins its first FA Cup since 2016 on Saturday, but it’s difficult to overlook the regression his team has made this season.
Playstyle
Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes is disheartened after his team gives up a goal. Under Ten Hag, United has appeared haphazard for significant portions of the season. (Picture: Getty)
Ten Hag was hired by United from Ajax, and his hiring was interpreted as an indication that the team was seeking a manager who could instill a cogent tactical set-up.
Even after two seasons of his experiment at Old Trafford, United supporters still don’t seem to understand the Dutchman’s preferred lineup.
Though there were hints throughout the summer transfer window that Ten Hag would eventually attempt to implement a more expansive, offensive, possession-heavy style akin to what was seen at Ajax, such ambitions have not come to fruition. Ten Hag signed Andre Onana and Mason Mount.
In contrast to Ange Postecoglou, who has already started laying the groundwork for a free-flowing Tottenham team in just one season, United’s lack of tactical coherence under Ten Hag is concerning and eventually proved expensive.
record of injuries
Due to an injury, Harry Maguire will miss the FA Cup final.
Due to an injury, Harry Maguire will miss the FA Cup final. (Image: Getty)
Ten Hag should be held somewhat accountable for the injury issue that has beset his United team at different times this season, even though he may cite this as a valid justification for his team’s inconsistent play.
Ten Hag demonstrated at Ajax that he disliked benching his main players, and at Old Trafford, he has stuck to that philosophy. Bruno Fernandes started 57 of the 62 games that were played last season, with Casemiro only missing time because of suspension.
The Dutchman’s second-season ambition to firmly stick with his first-choice XI and rarely rotate has caught up with him. This is coupled with a preseason that many senior players felt was too rigorous.
Although Ten Hag can’t be entirely blamed for Mount’s injury problems or Luke Shaw’s struggle to remain healthy on a regular basis, he has undoubtedly contributed to his team’s injury-plagued history.
McKenna’s race is getting hotter
Kieran McKenna is seen as one of the favorites. Eirk ten Hag
Kieran McKenna is seen as one of the favorites. Eirk ten Hag (Image: Getty)
Even while it has been obvious for a few weeks that Ten Hag’s time is running out, INEOS’s apparent decision to officially announce his resignation may have been influenced by other circumstances.
With Roberto De Zerbi leaving Brighton and Mauricio Pochettino’s unexpected resignation earlier in the week, at least two clubs are looking to hire new managers over the off-season.
Kieran McKenna, who led Ipswich Town to the Premier League after earning back-to-back promotions from League One, seems to be the guy drawing attention from both clubs.
The new leadership of United has apparently already met with McKenna’s agents. McKenna was the assistant manager under Jose Mourinho and had coached the club’s 18s team before that.
The Northern Irishman, who grew up supporting United, would undoubtedly be enticed to return to Old Trafford to manage the team. However, the club may have felt under pressure to move quickly and decide on Ten Hag in order to avoid losing out to Chelsea or Brighton in the competition for the 38-year-old’s services.
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