We finally have a decision! Erik ten Hag will stay on as Manchester United manager, according to multiple credible sources. Closure is finally here, after an extremely protracted and needlessly tedious saga that began on FA Cup Final weekend.
Ten Hag’s contract runs until the end of next season, with the club also having the option of extending it a further 12 months.
Not only will the Dutchman now realize the full term of his contract, but there is also a possibility for an extension now. According to The Guardian, “discussions have now begun regarding a new deal.”
Is this the right thing to do?
Well, there are two ways to look at it.
In favor of Ten Hag, you can point to his winning the FA Cup this past season, and his EFL Cup triumph the previous/his debut season. He also led that team to a third place finish in the Premier League and a runner-up finish in the FA Cup.
Not to mention that there were a lot of external factors, far beyond the control of the manager, which adversely impacted the results. The club had their worst injury crisis ever, with by some accounts 60 player injuries in total this season.
Not to mention Ten Hag had to deal with numerous off-the-pitch soap operas, which included the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho, Antony and Mason Greenwood.
The club takeover saga was no doubt a distraction as well. Now, about those adversely impacted results.
Remember, this is a 20-times English champions club, so their standards are extremely high. However, United suffered their worst start to a season since 1962-63, racking up eight losses in their first 15 matches across all competitions.
They also suffered 14 defeats in their 38 league games and ended up eighth, their lowest finish of the Premier League era. They also had a very embarrassing showing in the UEFA Champions League, crashing out early in the group stage.
Before deciding to keep Ten Hag, the club had sounded out numerous candidates, including the likes of Mauricio Pochettino, Gareth Southgate, Roberto de Zerbi, Thomas Tuchel, Kieran McKenna and Thomas Frank.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to Ravens Wire, part of the USA Today SMG’s NFL Wire Network and the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and the Washington Times. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.