Erik ten Hag will remain as Manchester United manager after the club’s end-of-season review concludes with the decision to keep faith in the Dutchman.
In a summer of change at Manchester United, there will be no one on the bench as new investors Ineos, now responsible for football operations, have chosen to stay rather than support Ten Hag. After a decade of decline on and off the field since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement, newcomers to the board – and management – have raised optimism that the Red Devils can return to their former status.
The appointment of Omar Berrada as chief executive of Manchester City is considered a coup, while Jason Wilcox arrived as technical director from Southampton. Dan Ashworth is expected to continue as sporting director, having been placed on gardening leave at Newcastle in February amid ongoing discussions.
New faces in the hierarchy guaranteed, the final decision was on who should lead the team. Ineos, to its credit, was not hasty in its verdict. Negotiations were held with coaching candidates including Mauricio Pochettino and Thomas Tuchel before Ten Hag’s period in limbo ended this week. The 54-year-old has shown faith and now the club can move on, United.
Negotiations between Manchester United and Erik ten Hag’s agents are already underway and advanced, with all parties anticipating an agreement on a new contract.
Ten Hag, happy to sign and continue the project as INEOS wants to give you full confidence for the future. Working in progress. pic.twitter.com/sC722BVlU4
—Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 12, 2024
Ten Hag’s time in English football polarized opinions. His first season was considered satisfactory, ending a six-year wait for silverware with League Cup success and securing Champions League football.
Last season, however, was far from enough. United slipped to their lowest place in the league for 34 years, lost a record 13 games in a Premier League season and played with a vulnerability that saw only relegated Sheffield United – who conceded a record 104 goals – offer more shots per game (17.8) for the opposing sides than Ten Hag’s team (17.6).
The caveat, of course, was cruel luck with injuries. Lisandro Martinez and Luke Shaw, an integral part of Ten Hag’s plan, missed long spells and an astonishing 14 different centre-back combinations were used in the Premier League in 2023-24.
No wonder inconsistency prevailed.
The club’s FA Cup victory over Manchester City saved a place in Europe and perhaps Ten Hag’s job. Now, the time for excuses is over. For the first time in a long time, the Red Devils respected the operators in the boardroom and the investors who want progress along with profits.
Recruitment will be key. The best teams in world football follow a three-step plan: sign up, develop and sell at the right time. Over the last decade, United have failed in every aspect. Since Ferguson’s retirement at the end of the 2012-13 campaign, and excluding academy products, the Red Devils have made a profit from the transfers of just FOUR players.
Dan James, Javier Hernandez, Daley Blind and Chris Smalling are the only players signed and sold for profit, which combined equates to just £19.4 million. Furthermore, in their entire history, Manchester United have only sold three players for more than €40 million (£33.7 million). Manchester City – a reference in the Premier League and a club capable of keeping its best talents, thus avoiding distorting this statistic – has already done so five times since 2020-21 alone.
Improvements are needed at all levels if Manchester United are to return to their previous heights and Ten Hag is among those who must demonstrate more when the new season arrives. With the support of the board and the unity above him, he may now have the platform to silence the doubters.
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