At long last, Manchester United have made a decision on Erik ten Hag and that decision is to keep the Dutchman in charge next season.
Ineos took their sweet time making their big decision over Erik ten Hag, with it being nearly three weeks since the FA Cup triumph which ultimately was probably a deciding factor in the decision.
The decision ultimately means that Manchester United will be continuing with Ten Hag as manager, a decision which has delighted the fanbase as social media reactions indicated.
It is a decision which is welcomed as it means that Manchester United can finally turn attention toward the transfer window and begin putting a plan into action for next season.
While annoying, it’s understandable why Ineos would take so long but now the decision is made, we have to hope it’s the right one. Here are five reasons we believe it is.
Erik ten Hag has won two trophies in two seasons
Probably the most obvious of all the reasons, he has a 100 per cent record of winning silverware in a season since joining the club, which is remarkable in itself considering where the club was when he took over.
While he’ll be the first to acknowledge the league season was bad, to still win a trophy in what is the worst season in the club’s recent memory is a good sign.
It also makes us confident of getting to see further silverware next season, something we could get used to once more.
The injury crisis at Manchester United would’ve hindered any team
While eighth place is awful, there is the clear impact of injuries on the team to point toward as a reason, and why next season should be much better.
For the way Ten Hag wanted to play football, Lisandro Martinez is arguably the most important player in the squad and he missed the majority of the season, while Luke Shaw endured a similarly torrid season.
Replacements for these players simply weren’t capable of doing what the first-choice players were capable of and so it’s no surprise United suffered. Hopefully with fewer injuries and strong recruitment this summer, we’ll see a huge resurgence.
Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo
For all the bad points which could be levelled against Ten Hag, one indisputable thing is his impact on United’s two blossoming stars, Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo.
The pair of 19-year-olds both rose to stardom under Ten Hag and as a result they both clearly have an abundance of respect and love for their manager, something a new manager may not replicate.
There’s nothing better than Carrington graduates coming through and becoming the club’s star players, and under Ten Hag with his Ajax roots, there’s a real chance we see it become a yearly thing.
This reason alone is worth giving Ten Hag another year with these two players truly special and loving their football under the manager.
United needed to stop the cycle of two-season managers
Since Sir Alex Ferguson retired, United have gone through four full-time managers with Ten Hag being the fifth. All of these are big names in the footballing world and bring different experiences and tactical preferences.
They all had one thing in common, they suffered under the Glazer rule which inevitably always led to their sacking and the club having to start from scratch.
So keeping Ten Hag is the smart decision as it’s no coincidence every other manager also failed and now with a strong footballing structure in place, the hope is Ten Hag will thrive as we all desperately hope he will.
Alternatives simply weren’t worth sacking Ten Hag for
The last is a little less optimistic but is potentially the main reason Ten Hag will be in the Manchester United dugout in August and that is the options to replace him simply aren’t good enough.
For Ineos, the choices ranged from failed Chelsea managers to managers who endured horrid 2024s with Brighton or even managers who haven’t ever managed a top-10 team.
No available options were better than Ten Hag and therefore it’s likely the right call that he’s staying.