Speculation has been mounting about the future of Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag, but that would likely come to an end if his side wins the FA Cup this season. Yesterday, a 4-3 marathon thriller of a victory, in the FA Cup quarterfinals over archival Liverpool, was a major step towards that goal. United also got the most favorable draw of all, Coventry City FC, in the semifinals. They’re very likely to reach the final, where they would await the winner of Manchester City versus Chelsea.
Sunday’s win was massive for Ten Hag, as it ended all Liverpool quadruple talk, and that is something all United supporters can enjoy.
With Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS taking over football operations at the club there has been an influx of new leadership in the C-suite. So naturally, there has been a ton of speculation about the consortium bringing in their own guy into the dugout. We’ve seen plenty of listicles mentioning potential Ten Hag replacements, with Brighton boss Roberto de Zerbi often topping the list.
It is likely time to put that talk to bed; at least for now.
“This could be the moment,” Ten Hag said in his post match press conference on Sunday.
“The team has the belief and energy to do amazing things. When you beat Liverpool you can beat any opponent.”
The Dutchman, who can still guide his side to a finish in the table that would earn them a Champions League slot, says his squad showed on Sunday why things are working under him.
“The first 35 minutes, we showed again that the future of this team is very bright,” Ten Hag said.
“There is huge potential. We have to get it out and get consistency. The first 35 minutes was very pleasing. They are great characters and the determination we see again. This season we have so many setbacks and every time we have to adapt.”
In a column he wrote for The Telegraph, former Liverpool defender and current Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher spelled it all out in the run up to the match:
“It will be clearer by Sunday night if Sir Jim Ratcliffe is green-lighting or pausing the hunt for an alternative to Ten Hag to spearhead another rebuilding process.
“Given his situation, there are many who will argue the FA Cup quarter-final draw is a nightmare for Ten Hag. It could go the other way. Rather than seeing peril when facing Liverpool, he should be relishing a golden opportunity.
“A positive result can help shift the perception of him. If he goes on to win the FA Cup, perspectives of this season will radically change, especially given the calibre of opponents still in the competition.”
Carragher, polarizing figure he may be, is probably right. And we do mean “polarizing,” in case you missed the “joke” that he threw out live on air at his co-host Kate Abdo (a very proud Manchester United fan), well, it has already been made into animation (see it below)
Jamie Carragher’s joke about Kate Abdo is now in cartoon pic.twitter.com/u60K7VfsDF
— Omar Momani (@omomani) March 15, 2024
During the next show, Abdo handled it perfectly, see this clip:
Kate Abdo is a Queen, such a class act! ????pic.twitter.com/n9Vms75ENG
— ?Ruk (@Miniruks) March 13, 2024
Well played!
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. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and the Washington Times. You can follow him on Twitter.