It's officially time for Man Utd to SACK Erik ten Hag

Cameron Smith

21 Apr 2024 19:00 BST
3 min read

Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Erik ten Hag, Man Utd — © IMAGO

Manchester United needed a last-gasp VAR intervention and a penalty shootout win to secure their place in the FA Cup final, despite leading 3-0 against Championship side Coventry City.

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Erik ten Hag’s side raced into a three-goal lead thanks to strikes from Scott McTominay, Bruno Fernandes and Harry Maguire, but a second-half crumble saw Coventry take the game to extra-time after three unanswered late goals, including a 95th minute Haji Wright penalty.

Mark Robins’ team were the more threatening in extra-time and looked as though they’d sealed a historic win when Victor Torp poked home a Wright cross with just seconds of the game left.

However, the goal was subsequently ruled out for offside by VAR, sending the semi-final to penalties.

Casemiro produced a tame first effort for Man Utd, which was easily saved by Coventry ‘keeper Brad Collins, but the Championship side were unable to capitalise as Callum O’Hare and Ben Sheaf both missed the spot before Rasmus Hojlund fired home the winning penalty.

Ten Hag would almost certainly have been under intense pressure if Man Utd had crashed out, especially given they had a 3-0 lead until the 71st minute, but the Dutchman shouldn’t be out of the woods just yet.

Man Utd should sack Erik ten Hag

Coventry’s starting XI cost a combined €27.8 million, while Man Utd’s cost €424.3m, with €95m man Antony among the Red Devils’ substitutes. The financial disparity is other-worldly, yet the Old Trafford side nearly bottled it at Wembley.

There’s no excuse for throwing away a three-goal lead in any game, not least against a side in the league below, and while blame can’t all be attributed to Ten Hag, he is the man in charge and thus must be held accountable.

Man Utd have now conceded 10 goals in their last four matches and 29 in 17 games in 2024, while their collapse in normal time against Coventry was reminiscent of the 4-3 loss to Chelsea, which came courtesy of two goals in stoppage time.

Ten Hag’s side are far too easy to play against and his style of play is the reason for that.

The Dutchman was handed a lucky escape thanks to Man Utd’s penalty shootout victory, but if they harbour aspirations of becoming a consistent force in English football once again, Ten Hag simply isn’t the man for the job.