- Ten Hag’s future is uncertain now that Man United is twelfth in the Premier League
- The Red Devils remain winless in the Europa League after three draws
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So here we go again. Manchester United are sounding out other managers behind Erik ten Hag’s back while the Dutchman limps on like a wounded animal.
When Sir Jim Ratcliffe and co-owners Ineos spoke to potential replacements around the FA Cup final in May, they decided Ten Hag was still the best man for the job and gave him a contract extension at a summit meeting in Ibiza. There is no guarantee that they will come to the same conclusion again.
If clubs in football management start drafting replacements one time, you are in trouble. Two times and it starts to feel terminal.
So while the news that United are increasing their interest in Xavi Hernandez, Thomas Frank, Ruben Amorim and Edin Terzic doesn’t quite make ten Hag a dead man, it doesn’t bode well either. If last time is anything to go by, there will be other conversations happening.
Ten Hag’s response to the latest speculation about his future was to dismiss it as outside noise. ‘Fairy tales and lies’, he called it. Depending on your point of view, he displays unwavering faith in his employers or dazzling naivete. After all, these are the same people who betrayed him six months ago.
The vultures are circling around Erik ten Hag after Man United’s poor start to the season
Xavi Hernandez (right) has been identified as a contender to replace United’s head coach
Omar Berrada led a four-man delegation during previous contact with the ex-Barca manager
Ten Hag’s response to the latest speculation about his future was to dismiss it as outside noise. ‘Fairy tales and lies’, he called it. Depending on your point of view, he displays unwavering faith in his employers or dazzling naivete. After all, these are the same people who betrayed him six months ago.
While CEO Omar Berrada and sporting director Dan Ashworth can rightly claim they only joined United in July, it is inconceivable that they were unaware when Ratcliffe, Sir Dave Brailsford and sporting director Jason Wilcox undermined the manager by talking to potential replacements.
On the other hand, this is the same Ten Hag who reacted incredulously when it was suggested that last season’s final home game against Newcastle could have been his farewell to Old Trafford or the cup final his last stand. As it turned out, he survived by the skin of his teeth thanks to a rousing win over Manchester City at Wembley.
He has used his twin successes in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup as armour, even though you could argue that two domestic cups provide a modest return on a £600m transfer investment.
During a welcome appearance at the Northern Football Writers’ Association annual dinner last weekend, he again called for patience. “I know you don’t win trophies in the fall, winter or even spring. You win trophies in April and May,” he said. ‘We are on a journey. At Manchester United we really believe we are going in the right direction.’
Ten Hag was right that you don’t win trophies at this time of year, but you do lose your job. That’s why it’s sometimes called layoff season, a time of year when out-of-work executives typically don’t book vacations.
Ruben Amorim (left) and Thomas Frank (right) are among the contenders to replace Ten Hag
The Red Devils’ hierarchy continues to debate Ten Hag’s future despite poor results
Ten Hag’s response to the speculation about his future was to dismiss it as outside noise
A coach is particularly vulnerable when he works for a club as big as Manchester United and is in the bottom half of both the Premier League and Europa League.
It would be nice to think that Ten Hag could perform another Houdini act. He certainly has the ability to get results when it really matters.
He’s a good man and he hasn’t become a bad coach. Crucially, the majority of fans are still behind him, and many people at United want him to stay and succeed.
But after his breakout in the summer, there was always the danger that a poor start to the season would quickly land him in trouble again, and that is exactly what happened.
The jungle drums sound again and the vultures circle above our heads.
