It took Erik ten Hag more than three months to gain any support from Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe. Since buying back a 27.7% stake in the club, the British billionaire has paid special attention to the head coach issue. Even after the "Red Devils" won the FA Cup last season, the interaction between Ratcliffe and Ten Hag was limited to one handshake.
And from the moment of glory at Wembley, there was a terrifying silence...
For more than half a month, the story surrounding Ten Hag's future has been on the rise. At the end of Tuesday (local time), according to British media, Ten Hag will continue to be the coach of Man United. Club sources confirmed that this is a "clear conclusion" and hinted that a contract extension may be underway.
But that does not overshadow the fact that the "Red Devils" have been very reserved about whether to continue with Ten Hag or not. They even held talks with other candidates before the end of the season. Thomas Tuchel, Mauricio Pochettino, Thomas Frank, Graham Potter, Kieran McKenna and Roberto De Zerbi are all on that list.
That led to a pre- FA Cup final report that Ten Hag would be sacked regardless of the result against Man City. With what was probably his biggest win as Man United manager to date, Ten Hag said: "If they don't want me, I'll go somewhere else to win trophies because that's what I do."
There were moments in the press conference after the FA Cup final when Ten Hag's disappointment reached its peak. And if the Dutch coach is still trusted in the coming season, what will happen next?
In some form, Ten Hag will participate in Man United's summer transfer activities and start a new campaign as a manager. But there is a sense that Ten Hag will be sacked at any time, as long as the "Red Devils" show signs of instability.
Although he has affirmed that he wants to focus on leading the England team for EURO 2024, Gareth Southgate has not yet escaped the attention of Man United. The appointment of Southgate this summer is actually impossible as the "Red Devils" will play their first pre-season friendly against Rosenborg on July 15, just 24 hours after the EURO final.
Southgate has been vague about his future after the tournament in Germany and his contract with the English Football Association (FA) expires at the end of this year. Poor form early in the season could see Ten Hag sacked and access Southgate in September or October will be easier.
Brailsford and future sporting director Dan Ashworth are both big Southgate fans. However, the tactician has not managed a club since being sacked by Middlesbrough in 2009. Despite some successes in leading the "Three Lions", there will certainly be opposition if Southgate sets foot in Old Trafford.
In short, Ten Hag's continued trust is not necessarily the ultimate goal of the Man United board. Instead, it appears to be a move to appease public opinion and wait for another opportunity.
Of course, things would be different if the Dutch coach helped the "Red Devils" get back on track with good results on the pitch. In contrast, after each defeat, news related to Southgate, Tuchel, Potter, Pochettino and De Zerbi will immediately appear.
Man United's form has been alarmingly declining since winning the Carabao Cup last season in February 2023. They have lost more than a third of their 74 games since beating Newcastle at Wembley and finishing eighth in the Premier League last season. Ten Hag will need a big promotion if he wants to completely remove doubts.
