- Ten Hag is clinging onto his job following humiliating defeat at Crystal Palace
Manchester United are sticking with Erik ten Hag for now, but mounting uncertainty over his future at Old Trafford is eroding the Dutchman’s authority in the dressing-room.
Mail Sport revealed last month that the United players expect Ten Hag to be sacked at the end of the season – a scenario that moved significantly closer following Monday’s crushing 4-0 defeat at Crystal Palace.
New co-owners Ineos are reluctant to make a snap decision and Ten Hag is likely to stay in charge for the remaining three Premier League games and the FA Cup final against Manchester City.
But it seems increasingly unlikely that he will survive beyond the end of the season, and insiders have spoken about how the sense of uncertainty has seeped into the dressing-room and undermined the manager’s position.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has stopped short of giving Ten Hag a vote of confidence, and face-to-face conversations between the squad and his Ineos sporting director Sir Dave Brailsford have centred on changing the culture at the club, leading players to assume the Dutchman no longer figures in Ratcliffe’s plans.
Speculation over Erik ten Hag’s future has created a sense of uncertainty around Man United
Monday night’s miserable 4-0 defeat to Crystal Palace further piled pressure on the manager
Mitchell van der Gaag (left), who is Ten Hag’s No 2, can also be abrasive with the squad
It is understood to be affecting their response to his instructions in matches and training. Although Ten Hag insisted after the Palace debacle that the players are behind him, he accused them of ‘making big mistakes, not following the plan, the script and the rules we have’.
Until now, Ineos have kept an open mind about Ten Hag’s future, partly due to the lack of good alternatives. Ratcliffe and Brailsford have focussed on building a management team, with chief executive Omar Berrada and Dan Ashworth not due to start work until the summer.
New technical director Jason Wilcox is still believed to be carrying out his initial assessment of the set-up at Carrington under Ten Hag who has been fully involved in the planning for pre-season.
After the uplifting 4-3 win over Liverpool in the FA Cup last month, there was a genuine belief that he could stay to be part of the new structure.
But the calamitous defeats to Palace and Chelsea, disappointing draws with Burnley and Bournemouth, and United’s collapse before beating Coventry on penalties in the FA Cup semi-final seem to have sealed his fate.
Ineos will let him stay in charge for the rest of the season, although it has been suggested among staff that Steve McClaren could step in as caretaker if the situation goes into meltdown.
Representatives for Thomas Tuchel have made it clear that he wants the job as he prepares to leave Bayern Munich, but there are concerns over the former Chelsea manager’s abrasive nature.
Julian Nagelsmann and Gareth Southgate will not be available until after the Euros, while other contenders include Ruben Amorim, Graham Potter, Roberto De Zerbi and Thomas Frank.
It has been suggested among staff that assistant coach Steve McClaren takes over immediately
Mauricio Pochettino is unlikely to be offered the hotseat if he leaves Chelsea this summer
Mauricio Pochettino, who was Ten Hag’s main rival for the job two years ago, is unlikely to be considered if he leaves Chelsea this summer.
The fact there isn’t a standout candidate could yet hand Ten Hag a lifeline, but his position appears increasingly untenable.
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
