May 27th 2024.
After a disappointing Premier League season, there has been much speculation surrounding Erik ten Hag's future at Old Trafford. However, Dutch football legend Marco van Basten has come forward to urge Manchester United to keep the faith in the manager, believing he is the right man to lead the club to a higher level.
Despite the club's poor league performance, Ten Hag's recent victory in the FA Cup final against Manchester City may have given him a lifeline. While his position is still under review, a decision will be made at the end of the week during the club's final season review.
Although United have been in talks with potential replacements, including Mauricio Pochettino and Thomas Frank, no decision has been made yet regarding Ten Hag's future. Despite finishing in eighth place this season, the worst in 34 years for the club, Ten Hag has proven himself by winning two trophies in his first two years at the helm, including last season's Carabao Cup.
Van Basten acknowledges that Ten Hag has made some mistakes, particularly in the transfer market, but he believes it would be a mistake for United to replace him this summer. "It was not a good match, but it is great that he managed to win against City with such a limited team," he told Rondo. "Despite having a limited squad, he was still able to win the FA Cup, which was very important. As a result, they will play European football. I think he is still the right man to get something done with Manchester United. They should give him time."
Having worked with Ten Hag at Ajax, van Basten knows first-hand that he is a talented coach who has had success at smaller clubs like FC Utrecht and Go Ahead Eagles. "He is someone who can build and make a team stronger," van Basten said. "But you also have to be lucky to have a good group. He made a mistake by buying many players for a lot of money who did not perform well. That is the job of a technical director, and he took on too much."
Ten Hag's options this season have been limited due to an abundance of injuries, resulting in him having to use 15 different centre-back combinations throughout the 2023-24 campaign. "I do think he is capable of taking Manchester to a higher level," van Basten said. "And that takes time, especially with a year like this, in which they have had to play so often with a different lineup. You could say he should take care of that himself, but there were just a lot of injuries. I think you have to take that into account."
Despite the uncertainty surrounding Ten Hag's future, there is no shortage of other news and updates coming out of Manchester United. From players faking injuries to avoid playing in the FA Cup final to changes in the coaching staff, there is always something to keep fans on the edge of their seats. Sign up now to stay up-to-date and receive exclusive analysis and content on all things Manchester United. Your privacy is important to us, and our site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
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