Manchester United may have eased the pressure on their manager Erik ten Hag with a memorable 4-3 win over Liverpool at the weekend, but it still looks like it’s going to be a major uphill struggle for the Dutchman to save his job at Old Trafford.
Ten Hag won silverware with Man Utd in his first season in charge, guiding them to a Carabao Cup final victory over Newcastle last term, while his side also reached the FA Cup final, where they lost 2-1 to eventual treble winners Manchester City.
The former Ajax manager is now enjoying a positive moment with the Red Devils as they enjoyed a thrilling comeback over rivals Liverpool at the weekend, beating them 4-3 to make it into the semi-finals of the FA Cup.
United will now face Coventry City in the next round, meaning they’ll be big favourites to make it to the final again, but it seems not everyone is convinced that lifting the trophy would be enough to keep Ten Hag in the job for next season.
Ten Hag still likely to lose his job, says senior Dutch journalist
Discussing Ten Hag’s situation and comparing it to when Louis van Gaal was shown the door shortly after that 2016 FA Cup final victory, Dutch journalist Valentijn Driessen stated his view that he couldn’t see the 54-year-old being kept on, even with a trophy by the end of this campaign.
“Of course it remains his end. Even if he wins the FA Cup. Louis van Gaal also went out after winning the FA Cup, but of course he had a very easy route,” Driessen said on the Kick-Off podcast, as quoted by Sport Witness.
“With Coventry huh, and then also on neutral ground. After the final he will hopefully be back in front of him with a prize, and then he will have won two for Manchester United, but I don’t think this will save his job.”