Winning the FA Cup famously saved Sir Alex Ferguson’s bacon, and now it seems to have come to Erik ten Hag’s rescue too.
From a dead man walking at Wembley 18 days ago, Ten Hag finally has a vote of confidence and the promise of a contract extension.
‘Football, bloody hell,’ was Ferguson’s most memorable quote, and never did it feel more apt than when news of United’s U-turn broke late last night.
An end-of-season review that felt like little more than camouflage for Sir Jim Ratcliffe and new minority owners Ineos to hawk his job to anyone who would listen has ended, quite extraordinarily, with the Dutchman staying in charge.
The feelgood factor from United’s victory over Manchester City last month, and the palpable surge of support for Ten Hag among the fanbase, has clearly turned Ratcliffe’s head.
Winning the FA Cup appears to have been decisive in Erik ten Hag remaining Man United boss
Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his Ineos group have decided to keep Ten Hag and offer him a new deal
The FA Cup feelgood factor and a surge in fan support has clearly turned Ratcliffe’s head
Club sources confirmed last night that winning his second trophy in two seasons – and the manner of United’s surprise 2-1 win over City – was one of the primary reasons Ten Hag has kept his job, as was the professionalism and dignity with which he conducted himself in very difficult circumstances.
United also recognised the work Ten Hag has done in developing young players like Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho – the two scorers at Wembley – and came to the conclusion that he deserved the chance to prove himself in a new structure led by chief executive Omar Berrada, sporting director Dan Ashworth and technical director Jason Wilcox.
After poring over United’s worst-ever Premier League season and lamentable Champions League exit at the group stage, they concluded that a chronic injury list and the difficulty in bedding in new signings Mason Mount, Rasmus Hojlund and Andre Onana were worthy of some empathy.
On the other hand, there was a legitimate view that if Ineos thought Ten Hag was toast at lunchtime on Cup Final day then they should have stuck by their guns after he climbed the steps to the Royal Box to receive the congratulations from Ratcliffe.
But how many times have we talked about the Mark Robins goal that saved Ferguson from the sack before he lifted the FA Cup in 1990? Look what happened after that, and Ineos are presumably hoping there could be a happy ending to this chapter in United’s history too.
We will never know just how close they came to firing Ten Hag and shaking hands with Gareth Southgate, Thomas Tuchel, Mauricio Pochettino, Thomas Frank or any of the others, and that is perhaps the biggest cloud on the horizon right now.
Can Ten Hag mend his working relationship with the people who were so prepared to hang him out to dry and discuss his job with other candidates?
It’s understood that talks took place with Pochettino and Frank in the week of the Cup Final. Only last week Ratcliffe was entertaining Tuchel in Monaco.
Man United recognise the work Ten Hag has done with Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho
There is no question the saga has humiliated Ten Hag despite the Dutchman remaining in post
Only last week, former Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel was entertained in Monaco by Ratcliffe
Mauricio Pochettino, left, and Thomas Frank, right, are understood to have held talks in the week leading up to the FA Cup final
There is no question this whole saga has humiliated Ten Hag and undermined his authority, even though it’s had a positive outcome for the 54-year-old.
It’s likely he will have significantly less say in new transfers under the new order after spending £400million on players since arriving at Old Trafford from Ajax in the summer of 2022, amid concerns over the influence of his agent Kees Voss in a number of United’s transfer dealings.
And there is still a lurking suspicion that, although Ratcliffe didn’t wield the axe this time, Ten Hag may not be in the clear just yet. New owners like to appoint their own men when they have paid £1.3billion for the privilege.
Southgate, for one, is known to be admired by the Ineos owner, but leading England into the Euros always felt like one inconvenience too far.
Southgate refused to commit at this stage and the final is one day before United’s opening pre-season friendly against Rosenborg in Trondheim. The margins were too tight, the possibilities too varied.
But what if Southgate leaves his post after the tournament, as he suggested in an interview with German publication Bild this week, and is available when we enter sacking season towards the end of the year?
Gareth Southgate indicated this week that he could leave England after the Euros
Ten Hag will back himself to turn Man United into a force and deliver further silverware
If Ten Hag has a similar start to next season as he did to the last one, he could be wide open again.
But that is a concern for another day. He is a proud man and will back himself to produce a season more like his first at United rather than the second, with a decent transfer window behind him and key players back fit.
Ten Hag will believe he can turn United into a force in the Premier League and have a decent shot at winning the Europa League – another reward for lifting the FA Cup at Wembley.
This is a victory for him and one that feels well deserved. Just like Ferguson, he’s been given a reprieve. Now he has to make the most of it.