There are many disappointed Manchester United fans at the moment but they will have to show support for the club as it enters a new era with Erik ten Hag still at the helm.
“When I started here, I said I’m here to win, also I want to build a team. Both I’m doing,” he said after winning the FA Cup against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City at the end of the English football season. Then he followed it up with a somewhat arrogant statement: “If they don’t want me, I go anywhere else and do what I did my whole career, winning games and trophies.”
These comments came after a trophy triumph, which is justified. However, the full context of the saga that led to this comment can be seen in the season that United had.
The Red Devils were beaten 14 times in the Premier League which saw them finish with a negative goal difference and in eighth place to record their worst-ever finish in top-flight history. They also finished last of the UEFA Champions League group, which is something that has never happened in their history in the competition.
The prevailing opinion of United fans is that ten Hag had no right to make such an arrogant claim even if he won the FA Cup, thanks to these glaring events. However, the INEOS Group reviewers think otherwise and have given their mandate to the Dutchman ahead of the 2024/25 season. This has greatly upset a large portion of the fanbase on social media.
This has also finally put to bed the idea that current England manager Gareth Southgate would be taking over the club after the 2024 UEFA European Championships in Germany.
INEOS is also reportedly talking with ten Hag about a contract extension, as the former AFC Ajax Amsterdam manager’s current contract runs out at the end of the coming season.
All of this gives credence to the opinions that Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the head honcho of INEOS, was leaning towards ten Hag’s continuity at the club. Ratcliffe, 71, had hinted at retaining Ten Hag in January after saying the “environment” at the club was not set up for managers to succeed.
“In the last 11 years, Manchester United have had a lot of coaches and nobody has been very successful in that environment. That says to me there is something wrong with the environment,” said Ratcliffe.
He now hopes to create that environment for ten Hag, who will have to develop an even tougher skin as he will face scrutiny from the club’s fans, the media and their very vocal alumni led by Gary Neville, Roy Keane and Rio Ferdinand.
