Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is into his second season – but questions are continuing to linger over his third
Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag.(Image credit: Getty Images)
Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag is continuing to face questions over his future.
The Dutchman joined the club back in April 2022 and still holds the record as the manager with the highest win percentage in the club's modern-day history.
But with an extensive injury list, crashing out of the UEFA Champions League before Christmas and ongoing player disputes, it hasn't all been plain sailing for the former Ajax head coach.
WATCH | The GENIUS Way Man United Beat Liverpool At Their Own Game
With INEOS' recent partial takeover still beginning to carry early weight, it remains to be seen just what lies ahead.
Ten Hag helped mastermind a dramatic 4-3 FA Cup victory over Liverpool just prior to the recent international break, with Amad Diallo scoring a late winner to send Old Trafford into delirium.
Many players are expected to head out the exit door as Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Sir Dave Brailsford look to return to Man Utd to the peak of their powers as an English heavyweight.
But with continuity at the forefront of any successful team, the INEOS duo may look to rivals Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal to see how sticking with what they have may serve them best in the long run.
Erik ten Hag looks on during Manchester United's derby defeat to Manchester City in the Premier League in March 2024. (Image credit: Getty Images)
But having been aligned with the club's long-standing values of promoting academy talent and restoring standards, it seems unreasonable to presume Ten Hag will be replaced in the summer.
Another transfer window is fast approaching and given the progress made over the past two years, a complete reset would surely set Man Utd back once more in terms of moving on from the Fergie hangover we've since seen.
Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo have continued to prove how integral promoting within can be and with the likes of Omari Forson, Willy Kambwala and Habeeb Ogunneye all now pushing on to make an impact, the impact Erik is having remains clear for all to see.
With the media time and time again insisting that football coaches are not given long enough in the modern era, maybe it is time for United to look hard in the mirror as to what could stand them in the best stead.
Manchester United star Kobbie Mainoo has been superb under Ten Hag's stewardship. (Image credit: Getty Images)
"I'm under contract for three seasons, so I don't care," said Erik earlier this season and why should he.
"I am in this process, I'm only focusing on the process, so I don't care what's going on around me," Ten Hag added, speaking ahead of a fifth-round FA Cup tie at Nottingham Forest, in which Casemiro's late winner secured a victory.
Get FourFourTwo Newsletter
The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.
"I have many talks with Sir Jim Ratcliffe, also with Sir Dave Brailsford and others in that group, so I know what we are talking about and I have a strong belief and I feel that they believe in me.
"I want to win every game. I know I'm in a process, I know what I'm doing. I focus on those two points - progress of the team in this moment and the next game, and to think about the future, and to do that in togetherness."
Bio: Matthew is a freelance journalist and has currently racked up bylines for Manchester United, Manchester Evening News, GOAL and SPORTbible to name a few. A long-term sufferer of Scunthorpe United, he currently resides in the north-west after escaping the smog of North Lincolnshire.
