It’s been the most tumultuous of seasons for Erik ten Hag and Man United, and yet despite everything the Red Devils are still in with a chance of success on two fronts.
Beat Coventry City in the FA Cup semi-final and they get a chance to go one better than they did last season against Man City.
There’s also a possibility that United could finish in the Champions League positions too. At present, they find themselves in sixth position, nine points behind Aston Villa in fourth but with a game in hand.
Gerard Pique isn’t sure about ten Hag at United
With 10 games left of their season still to play, that’s 30 points up for grabs which gives the North West giants ample opportunity to make a late charge for the top four.
Whether or not ten Hag leads his side to glory this season, a former United player and Champions League winner with Barcelona isn’t sure he’s the right man for the job.
“I still believe Ten Hag is a very good coach,” Gerard Pique said to Sky Sports.
“I don’t really know if he will be able to turn things around but the win against Liverpool [in the FA Cup] was incredible.
“It’s the sort of victory that will give them power for the rest of the season. Then, I would say they need to trust more in the people coming through from the academy.
“It happens when you are suffering as a club. It was the same at Barcelona, but you have to trust in the academy players. We saw Sir Alex Ferguson show this with the Class of ’92 and they have to trust in the next generation in the same way.
“In the last few years, they’ve spent a lot of money, and it hasn’t worked out. So why not try to give the new, young generation the chance to at least try and perform.”
The future of the first-team manager is just one of many decisions that Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS team need to make this summer.
Change isn’t going to happen overnight but what’s important for the Old Trafford outfit is that there’s some consistency with regards to the decision making process and, ultimately, that everyone is pulling in the same direction.