Erik ten Hag’s future is set to be decided this week as Ineos conduct an end-of season review at Manchester United, with several potential replacements watching on with interest.
With celebrations starting to die down after United’s surprise FA Cup final success over rivals Manchester City, attention remains on Ten Hag, who came out fighting in his post-match interviews.
New co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Ineos director of sport Sir Dave Brailsford and senior United figures will now make a final call on whether to sack the Dutchman and bring in one of the other coaches they have made contact with in recent days.
A post-season review has been planned since Ineos took a minority stake in the club at the turn of the year. i understands the decision will be based on the last two years under Ten Hag, not Saturday’s result.
The manager has been involved in transfer discussions and plans for United’s pre-season tour but he will not be part of the review as he, like all his players, heads on holiday.
Even Saturday’s result may not be enough to save him, just as Louis van Gaal found out after he was sacked and replaced by Jose Mourinho hours after winning the FA Cup in 2016.
Ineos will take more time to deliberate than that, but not much more. United have been somewhat forced into making a quick call as several of their top targets are also on Chelsea’s shortlist to replace Mauricio Pochettino.
Kieran McKenna is one of the hottest properties in football, with Chelsea and Brighton keen to snare the young Ipswich coach.
However, i understands McKenna’s preference over the three is United, where he was assistant to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer until 2021. Sources said the challenge of turning things around at Old Trafford does not faze him, with opportunities to take the United hotseat not always on the table.
But McKenna is not the only manager who fits the profile of coach Ineos are after: one who is willing to work within their structure to create a new footballing identity.
Roberto De Zerbi is now understood to be high on Chelsea’s shortlist, alongside McKenna, Leicester boss Enzo Maresca and Brentford’s Thomas Frank, despite initial reservations over the firebrand Italian.
A large number of United fans would be unhappy to see Ten Hag go, despite calls for change throughout much of the campaign.
A poll run by the editor of United We Stand fanzine after Saturday’s final, one with over 50,000 votes, showed that more than 85 per cent of supporters want Ten Hag to stay for another season.
Fans were buoyed by the fact Ten Hag tactically outwitted the might of Pep Guardiola with his box midfield system, one of several new formation innovations that have left critics questioning why such flexibility was absent earlier in a disappointing Premier League campaign.
Player celebrations also indicated that they too are behind their manager. Returning defender Lisandro Martinez ran straight to the manager upon the final whistle, the squad made sure a reluctant Ten Hag got his own trophy lift high on the Wembley steps, while several publicly backed him in post-match interviews.
Tellingly, however, there was no such public backing from Ratcliffe. The Manchester-born billionaire appeared willing to speak to reporters after the game, only to be ushered away when it was clear the first question was to be about Ten Hag.
In a statement after the match, the Dutchman did not get a mention either, despite winning his second trophy in as many seasons.
“It is a glorious feeling to win the FA Cup final at Wembley,” Ratcliffe said. “Manchester United clearly were not the favourites to win today but they played with total commitment and skill and overcame one of the great teams in football. We are all very proud of the players and the staff who work tirelessly to support them.”
from Football - inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/gJW0BTY
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