Let’s put this out there, first and foremost- no one truly knows whether Erik ten Hag will be sacked at the end of the season or not. On one hand, it may seem obvious- Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS have taken over the football operation part of the business, and they have totally reshuffled the front office. It only makes sense that they would want to bring in their own manager.
Plus the second season of Ten Hag has seen the team break the club record for single season Premier League losses, and they look likely to finish lower in the table than they ever have during the PL era.
Arsenal at Manchester United FYIs
Kickoff: Sun. May 12 4:30 pm, Old Trafford, Manchester, UK
Starting XI Predictions: Man United Arsenal
Team News: United Part 1 United Part 2 Arsenal
More MUFC Updates: Part I Part II
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
PL Position, Form: Arsenal 1st, 83 pts, WWWWL Man United 8th, 54 pts, LDWDD
Google Result Probability: Arsenal 69% Draw 17% Man United 14%
On the other hand, it really appears that Ratcliffe and INEOS just do not have a clear, obvious successor candidate in mind. Plus the club has suffered through the worst injury crisis in their entire history, and maybe Ten Hag’s bosses will grant him some rope with that.
“I think they have common sense,” Ten Hag said at his press conference today when asked whether he is concerned he could lose his gig this summer. “They see when you have 32 different backlines, when you lose eight centre-backs, when we see we don’t have a left full-back, they know that will have a negative impact on results.
“But we are still fighting and it’s a huge FA Cup final. We are still there. It can be a highlight of the season, but we know why we are underperforming. I am a realistic person. I see this, I analyze, and no team will perform with these injuries.”
Ten Hag still has one more year left on his current deal, but there has been no vote of confidence from Ratcliffe thus far.
Asked by a reporter if he needs public backing, Ten Hag said: “This question, you have to make to the owners, not to me. I don’t care if they do or they don’t, I’m working on improving and developing my team, that is my job here.”
Elsewhere, the absolute devastation of an injury crisis in central defense continues, with Raphael Varane and Victor Lindelof now ruled out for the rest of the league season. They both still stand a slight chance of making the squad for the FA Cup final.
As with most of United’s injuries this season, the club has obfuscated on specific details. And it feels like the timeline for the pair, as with most of the injured players this season, keeps shifting back.
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 Twitter.