Manchester United have reportedly decided to part ways with manager Erik ten Hag, regardless of the outcome of this weekend’s FA Cup final against Manchester City.
According to the Guardian, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS associates decided to fire the Dutch manager as they strive to reshape the club’s football operations.
Ten Hag won the League Cup and secured a third-place finish last season, but this season has been tumultuous.
Injuries have ravaged the Red Devils, making it difficult for the manager to select his best team.
Poor signings in the transfer market have not helped, leaving Ratcliffe keen to overhaul the recruitment department.
United finished eighth in the Premier League, their worst finish since the competition launched. Ten Hag’s side set a club record for the most defeats in a single Premier League season (14).
The club also finished with a negative goal difference for the first time since 1990.
The team has lacked structure and cohesion. United looked poor in possession, and opponents constantly found ways to have a pop at Andre Onana in goal.
Ten Hag’s fate has now been sealed. Even a potential FA Cup win won’t be enough to sway the club’s hierarchy.
He leaves with the third-highest win percentage (57.3) in the club’s history after Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho.
The search for Ten Hag’s successor is already underway, with Thomas Tuchel, Mauricio Pochettino, Kieran McKenna, Graham Potter and Thomas Frank identified as potential replacements.
With the FA Cup final tomorrow, there are major questions about how this news will impact United’s performance at Wembley.
United are already underdogs against Manchester City, and the news could affect them as they look to salvage something from an otherwise incredibly disappointing season.
