- Erik ten Hag is under pressure at Man United with his team adrift in the top four
- Last season was successful, but injury problems have caused the season to turn around.
- If Erik ten Hag wins the FA Cup with Man United, does he deserve to keep his job? Listen to the everything is beginning podcast
For Sir Alex Ferguson, FA Cup glory was the springboard to success. Other Manchester United coaches discovered that winning the competition signaled their demise.
Tommy Docherty was sacked when lifting the Cup was not considered defense for having an affair with the wife of his club physio. Ron Atkinson lost his job the year after the Wembley glory because he was no closer to ending United’s long wait to be champions.
Most alarming for Erik ten Hag is that his compatriot Louis van Gaal learned his fate just minutes after his United team beat Crystal Palace in 2016. His “crime” had been not qualifying for the Champions League, something that will haunt his Dutch compatriot, whose The team is 13 points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa.
Publicly, Ten Hag insists he will be at Old Trafford next season, just as Van Gaal had done up until the time he was replaced by Jose Mourinho. But in the build-up to facing Coventry City in Sunday’s semi-final, Ten Hag unknowingly explained why his future is in jeopardy.
‘I know why I’m here. To bring trophies, also to create economic value,” he stated.
Erik ten Hag will look to avoid more pressure by winning the FA Cup at Manchester United
Sir Alex Ferguson used the FA Cup as a springboard to his success during his time at United.
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With United now seventh, new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe will reflect on how costly it is to miss the Champions League. In the modern world, a great day at Wembley doesn’t alter that, even if it leads to silverware wins.
Ten Hag is aware that his friend Van Gaal remains the last United manager to win the FA Cup. Last season was successful, with the Carabao Cup and third place, but a list of chronic injuries has set United back. All of the veteran defenders except Diogo Dalot have missed much of the season, especially Lisandro Martínez and Luke Shaw.
‘Criticism doesn’t worry me. What worries me is having a full team to choose from only once every 18 months,” replies Ten Hag. “Injuries are normal in football, but not as many as we have had in crucial positions. That’s my truth: others may see it differently, but I can’t put any energy into it. I have to look at it realistically and rationally.”
The real truth is that Ten Hag’s prospects are beyond his control. The Cup offers a respite. But his form is too patchy for fans to expect a big turnaround. Although the United team has been affected, the rivals have coped better. Liverpool won the Carabao Cup despite a dozen absences. Manchester City are fighting for the title after being without Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne for significant periods.
Tactically, the team has looked like a disaster at times. No other team in the top five European leagues has conceded more shots. Several players, including Marcus Rashford and Casemiro, have been below average, while their £72m striker Rasmus Hojlund has gone seven games without scoring, equaling his barren run from December.
Ten Hag has publicly insisted he will be at Old Trafford next season despite his team’s problems.
But Louis van Gaal was mercilessly sacked just minutes after lifting the trophy at Wembley.
Off the pitch, United are rebuilding in the Sir Jim era. New signings Omar Berrada (CEO), Dan Ashworth (Sporting Director) and Jason Wilcox (Technical Director) will form a strong executive team next season under the watchful eye of Sir Dave Brailsford.
It would almost be strange if they didn’t want a first team coach of their choice. Gareth Southgate, Graham Potter and Thomas Tuchel all have strengths. A long-term option would be former United manager Kieran McKenna, although it is probably too early a job for him.
Ten Hag hopes Ratcliffe’s upbringing as a United legacy will convince him of the traditional healing powers of the FA Cup. The competition gave Ferguson a valuable advantage in 1990. Nearly three decades later, then-chief executive Ed Woodward took a colder approach in sacking Van Gaal.
Robins’ presence at Wembley as Coventry manager is ironic. His victory at Nottingham Forest in 1990 is said to have helped save Ferguson’s job. United finished 13th that season, but winning the Cup gave the manager an extra mandate, and the rest is history.
“Sometimes the same thing happens in football. A goal hitting the post can make a big difference,” said Ten Hag. He must hold on to that hope, but right now it seems desolate.
