Manchester United’s preparations for the FA Cup final against Manchester City were thrown into chaos by a report that states Erik ten Hag will be sacked as manager after the game.
Ten Hag’s future at Old Trafford has been a source of sustained speculation at Old Trafford, especially since Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS group took control of football operations earlier this year.
The cup final against Premier League champions City, who were going for the unprecedented feat of back-to-back domestic doubles, gave United a chance to salvage a campaign where they finished eighth — their worst final league position since 1990. They did just that, winning the match 2-1 to claim a second trophy in as many seasons and secure qualification for the 2024/25 UEFA Europa League.
But it appears even an upset victory over Pep Guardiola's all-conquering side will not be enough to spare Ten Hag, with Ratcliffe and his newly installed hierarchy set on a fresh direction.
According to The Guardian, "a well-placed source" at Old Trafford confirmed Ten Hag would be moved along irrespective of Saturday’s outcome at Wembley. United declined to comment on the record after being contacted by the UK newspaper.
MORE: Why do Man United and Chelsea want Kieran McKenna?
Have Man United sacked Erik ten Hag? Latest reports, reaction after FA Cup final win
Ten Hag remained in the United job for the FA Cup final on May 25 against Manchester City at Wembley.
When asked about the speculation, the Red Devils manager said he was unaware of any suggestion his exit had been decided, although he stressed the day was about his players winning the trophy, not his own future.
"I don't talk about my future. It's not about me, it's about the team and winning the cup," he told BBC Sport before the match.
After the game had finished, Ten Hag was much more forthright in his comments on the BBC. Saying he remains unsure if this was his last match in the job, the manager described United as "a mess" when he took over two years ago, and insisted they remain "far" from where they want to be.
"All compliments to the team. We played very good to our identity. Very strong. You have seen how we can play when we have the players on board. Some were not even match fit but the performance was very good," he said.
"I tell you [media] this all year: when the players are fit, we can play good football. A very good performance against the best team in the world."
Reporter: “Sir Jim… is Erik staying?”
— Brad Cox (@BradJCox_) May 25, 2024
Sir Jim: 🤐#MUFC pic.twitter.com/BRCaEuercL
Asked if criticism this season had been unfair, he said: "I think so. The team. Me as well. It was not right.
"But we didn't have the players. We have seen the same things, not always good football — definitely not — but we had to make compromises all the time, and then you can't play the football you want to play.
"I don't know [if my future is at United]. The only thing I'm doing is preparing my team, developing my team. This is a project for me. When I came in, I can say it was a mess. Now, we are better. We are not where we want to be.
"Football is about winning trophies. I want to play the best football, dynamic, attacking football but in the end you have to win games and trophies. That's the mentality we brought in. This was our one opportunity and we did it. I'm very proud of the players and staff."
After the game, Sir Jim Ratcliffe walked through the mixed zone — the area where players will sometimes give post-match interviews — and he turned to stare at a reporter who asked "Is Erik staying?" You can see the footage above.
Who will replace Erik ten Hag at Manchester United?
The Guardian article also identified a shortlist of six potential candidates to succeed Ten Hag, most notably Thomas Tuchel and Mauricio Pochettino.
Tuchel left Bayern Munich this season after ceding the Bundesliga title to Bayer Leverkusen. An attempt by the Bayern board to reverse their decision did not persuade Tuchel into a U-turn and the Champions League-winning former Chelsea manager is understood to be keen on another shot at Premier League management.
Pochettino followed Tuchel in becoming another victim of the Todd Boehly regime at Stamford Bridge and was briefly linked with the Bayern post before Burnley manager Vincent Kompany emerged as a surprise frontrunner.
Talk of Pochettino around United has happened frequently since he first came to prominence at Tottenham Hotspur and the stars might align this time for the ex-PSG boss.
None of the other names mentioned have the same level of top-tier achievement, but Kieran McKenna knows United well having served as one of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s assistants.
Since taking charge at Ipswich Town in December 2021, the 38-year-old has been a revelation. This season he led the Suffolk club back to the Premier League via a second consecutive promotion.
McKenna’s exploits have not gone unnoticed he has also been linked to the vacancies at Chelsea and Brighton. Former Seagulls’ boss Graham Potter has not worked since being sacked by Chelsea last season but INEOS’ admiration for the 49-year-old has been long-noted.
Thomas Frank has impressed by making a well-coached Brentford team punch above their weight since gaining promotion in 2021 and he has now also been thrust into the United conversation.
MORE: FA Cup final team news for Man City vs. Man United
Erik ten Hag record as Man United manager
If this is it for Ten Hag, it brings to an end another familiar cycle of expectation, optimism and ultimately failure at United in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.
David Moyes was relieved of his duties before the end of the first season of a six-year contract. But United at least finished seventh in 2013/14, one place better off than Ten Hag’s injury-hit assortment this year.
By the time Moyes’ contract was due to end in June 2019, Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho had already come and gone and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was making a better fist of things than those two illustrious predecessors.
After finishing a distant second to Manchester City in 2020/21, United spent big to bring in Raphael Varane and Jadon Sancho before the prodigal son Cristiano Ronaldo returned home. However, this came at the expense of the squad harmony and cohesion Solskjaer had built and he was sacked after a November 2022 thumping at Watford.
Manchester United managers since Sir Alex Ferguson
| Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Win % | Honours won | |
| David Moyes | 51 | 27 | 9 | 15 | 52.9% | Community Shield |
| Louis van Gaal | 103 | 54 | 25 | 24 | 52.4% | FA Cup |
| Jose Mourinho | 144 | 84 | 32 | 28 | 58.3% | Europa League, League Cup, Community Shield |
| Ole Gunnar Solskjaer | 168 | 91 | 37 | 40 | 54.2% | — |
| Ralf Rangnick | 29 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 37.9% | — |
| Erik ten Hag | 113 | 65 | 15 | 31 | 57.5% | League Cup |
Ralf Rangnick’s interim tenure was notable for the veteran German coach speaking loudly about all of United’s problems without having to ever concern himself with the arduous task of solving them — certainly after that proposed consultancy role was kicked into the long grass.
To that end, Ten Hag appeared to have a handle on things last season. A swift divorce was granted to Ronaldo, the Red Devils won the Carabao Cup and finished third to qualify for the Champions League. It makes this season’s collapse and another managerial failure perhaps the toughest to swallow of them all in the 11 years since Ferguson left the scene.
What happened to Louis van Gaal at the FA Cup final?
The most obvious parallels to draw with Ten Hag are to Van Gaal and that is not simply because of their shared nationality and Ajax heritage.
Heading into the 2016 FA Cup final against Crystal Palace, speculation was mounting that former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss Van Gaal would be moved on to make way for Mourinho.
So it proved, even after United overcame Palace and their snake-hipped manager Alan Pardew in extra time thanks to a superb Jesse Lingard strike.
“The last six months at United, the circumstances were so difficult,” Van Gaal said reflecting on his Old Trafford demise. “That is why the trophy I won, the FA Cup, I consider the biggest trophy in my career.”
United fans can at least hope for the same outcome on Saturday but City are also familiar with this situation heading into an FA Cup final.
Less than a year after helming an incredible Premier League title triumph at United’s expense, the popular but temperamental City manager Roberto Mancini was rumoured to be teetering on the brink.
United had won back the Premier League in Ferguson’s final season and on the morning of City's showpiece meeting with Wigan Athletic, multiple reports claimed Manuel Pellegrini was set to usurp the Italian.
Again, this turned out to be true but there was no siege mentality from City as they performed limply and Ben Watson headed a late winner to give the Latics a famous triumph.
