Why Man Utd CAN'T sack Ten Hag

Cameron Smith

30 Sept 2024 10:30 BST
4 min read

Erik ten Hag may have signed a Manchester United contract extension this summer, but his future at Old Trafford is hanging by a thread.

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The Dutchman saved his job with the Red Devils by guiding them to FA Cup glory in May, however the club’s poor start to the 2024-25 campaign has left him in an extremely precarious position.

Man Utd are currently 12th in the Premier League table, having picked up just seven points from their opening six games, and their 3-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday was frankly woeful.

Ange Postecoglou’s side were able to play through the Red Devils with consummate ease during the first-half and without Andre Onana, Spurs could easily have netted five or six goals.

The Telegraph have reported that the Man Utd hierarchy will continue to back Ten Hag, with no immediate plans to appoint a replacement, and the Dutchman is expected to remain in charge for this week’s away fixtures against Porto and Aston Villa.

However, Ten Hag has done nothing to prove he deserves to keep his job at Old Trafford.

Despite this, Man Utd arguably cannot afford to sack the ex-Ajax boss.

Why Man Utd can’t sack Erik ten Hag

INEOS have made a big splash since their arrival at Man Utd, but sacking Ten Hag would make them look rather foolish.

Firstly, their end-of-season review resulted in triggering the one-year extension clause in Ten Hag’s contract and parting ways with the Dutchman just months later would be an admission that was a huge mistake.

© IMAGO - Erik ten Hag is under massive pressure at Man Utd

Furthermore, INEOS backed Ten Hag in the market this summer and sacking him therefore makes very little sense.

INEOS would certainly have pushed for Leny Yoro and Manuel Ugarte irrespective of who was in charge, but the additions of Matthijs de Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui and Joshua Zirkzee were undoubtedly tied to the fact Ten Hag signed a new deal.

In addition, there is a lack of available managers on the market right now.

Thomas Tuchel reportedly turned down the job in the summer, Mauricio Pochettino has taken over the USMNT, while Zinedine Zidane doesn’t want to manage in the Premier League.

Ruud van Nistelrooy is another option, and FootballTransfers understands he is likely to be in charge by 2026, however appointing the Red Devils legend mid-season would be a huge risk.

© IMAGO - Matthijs de Ligt joined Man Utd this summer

Man Utd are therefore stuck between a rock and a hard place, and their decision to keep faith with Ten Hag this summer is looking even worse with each passing day.

They have only picked up 23 points from the last 57 available in the Premier League, so sacking Ten Hag is the correct decision based solely on the club’s current performance level.

However, INEOS have backed themselves into a corner with their actions this summer and Ten Hag may keep his job for a little while longer as a result.