By Sean Walsh
The will-he or won't-he saga of the summer has actually been lingering around for some months, as it happens.
It's already June and we're still no closer to knowing who will be sitting in Old Trafford's home dugout next season.
Manchester United's unlikely but deserved victory in the FA Cup final against Manchester City appears to have earned Erik ten Hag a fair argument to continue into the 2024/25 campaign, but that hasn't stopped links appearing with other managers in the media.
But would any of those other coaches be an upgrade on Ten Hag? Do they have a better track record than the Dutchman?
Here's how Ten Hag stacks up against four of the names tipped to take his job - Thomas Tuchel, Mauricio Pochettino, Thomas Frank and Roberto De Zerbi.
Win percentage (2023/24 season)
Up until last Saturday's FA Cup final, there wasn't a single redeeming feature about United's season.
The Red Devils battled through various injury crises and stumbled over the Premier League finish line in a club-low position of eighth. But their successful run in the cup has saved their win percentage from plummeting through the floor altogether.
Despite Bayern Munich's inability to win silverware, Tuchel scored highest among these five managers for this season's statistics. Pochettino's sole season at Chelsea resembled Ten Hag's United, while Frank's Brentford and De Zerbi's Brighton & Hove Albion did not hit the heights expected of them.
Trophies
For all of the criticisms you can lay at Ten Hag's door (and believe me, we'll be coming to that part soon), he has delivered success at United.
Speaking after the FA Cup final, he said: "There will be ups and downs, but you see, the team is developing, the team is winning and at the end of the day, it is about winning trophies.
"The team is progressing, and we are winning trophies. Two trophies in two years is not bad. Three finals is not bad, but we have to keep going. I'm not satisfied with it.
"We have to do better and if they don't want me anymore, then I'll go anywhere else to win trophies because that is what I have done my whole career."
As mentioned, Tuchel went pot-less this season, but has swept up honours wherever he has been since making the jump to Europe's elite clubs. Even Pochettino managed to shake off such criticisms over at Paris Saint-Germain.
Having never really taken charge of a big-hitter, it's unsurprising that Frank and De Zerbi have not found trophies easier to come by.
Intangibles and some nuance, please
Right, enough tiptoeing around it.
Ten Hag's United this season were the least competent of any Red Devils side in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era. Winning another trophy - wow, what a novelty for this football club - should not paper over the cracks of some real issues within the coaching setup.
To an extent, Ten Hag was right to bemoan his injury luck, which was quite frankly ridiculous at some points. But he can't run away from his inability to steady the ship and the possibility he might have brought such fitness issues upon himself.
Even back in August and September, United looked dead on their feet and could barely hang with teams past the 60-minute mark. There was also a clear mental deficiency within the group that caused them to so often concede soon after scoring. United were almost unanimous picks to finish in the top three, and a drop to eighth should not be mitigated by injuries alone.
If we're going to be harsh with Ten Hag's 2023/24, we should at least apply the same scrutiny to his rivals. Tuchel's Bayern finished third behind Bayer Leverkusen and Stuttgart. Pochettino's Chelsea spent much of the year behind United before a late rally. Frank's Brentford could barely cope without Ivan Toney. Down at Brighton, De Zerbi flirted with a move away all season before the two clubs parted ways after an inconsistent 2024.
The right call?
Perhaps the easiest way to come to your true feelings on Ten Hag's future is a little hypothetical.
Say Ten Hag wasn't in charge of United for 2023/24. Say he was at, let's say, Chelsea, a club stuck in a similar circus cycle. Would Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS be looking his way if they had just gone through their own season? It's hard to imagine the answer being yes.
Just over a week ago, it seemed for all the world Ten Hag would sign off his United reign with the FA Cup final. If he is to stay, the club are at least well positioned to find an alternative early into next season, and that appears a more likely resolution by the day.
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This article was originally published on 90min.com as Erik ten Hag compared to the candidates for his Man Utd job.
