Erik ten Hag has been given a new contract by Manchester United which will be valid until 2026. The Dutch expert has remained on the bench despite the results which have not been so brilliant.
Ten Hag rewarded for winning the FA Cup
There has been speculation for months about whether ten Hag will be fired or whether the United management will give him the confidence to continue working at Old Trafford. It seems that ten Haag’s fate was ultimately decided by the FA Cup which United eventually managed to win. In the semi-final, United allowed Coventry to come back after 3 goals behind, but after the penalty, United was still better. In the final, we watched a big city derby in which, of course, Manchester City was the favorite, but it failed to justify that role and United managed to save the season at least a little.
The previous season was terrible for Ten Hag and his bulls. In the most important competitions, United disappointed their fans, as they were only eighth in the Premier League, while in the Champions League, they were already eliminated in the group stage.
The FA Cup is a competition that is highly valued in England, and if United had been defeated by City in the final or even by Coventry at the earlier stage, it is almost certain that after two seasons, Erik ten Hag would be the former. We cannot say that everything was bad during the term of the Dutch expert, but it is clear that the team disappointed in the two most important competitions.
A year earlier, the team led by ten Hag also played in the FA Cup final, but was then defeated by Manchester City. That season United managed to win the EFL Cup trophy by beating Newcastle in the final. In the end, they were satisfied at Old Trafford with the first season with the Dutch expert as he managed to get the team back into the Champions League by finishing third.
Ten Hag and the entire team were the target of harsh criticism after the saddest moment in that season and probably in the entire history of this club because United suffered a disaster at Anfield where they were defeated by Liverpool 0-7 in the big derby. The trophy that ten Hag brought to United in the EFL Cup was the first for this team after six years of fasting.
This season, this expert added another trophy to his treasury. It should be noted that after the departure of Alex Ferguson from the bench and before the arrival of ten Hag, he won a total of only three trophies. Jose Mourinho bagged two as he lifted the UEFA Europa League title and the EFL Cup trophy. Louis van Gaal brought another trophy to the FA Cup.
This means that United won three trophies in 10 seasons and two in two seasons under the baton of ten Hag. United is a club that has to fight for trophies, but trophies in cups will certainly not satisfy the fans. The big question is how ready United are for the next season and Ten Hag is aware of that.
“It must be clear to us that we still have a lot of hard work ahead of us to reach the level expected of Manchester United, which is to win trophies in England and on the European stage. In discussions with the club, we have found total unity in our vision to achieve those goals and we are all committed to going that way together.”
It was far from the fact that United shone with Ten Hag, but still two trophies arrived, and in previous years trophies have become a mental noun for the celebrated team from Old Trafford. The Dutch coach is overjoyed to have been trusted to continue the work he has started and try to return United to their former glory.
“I am very pleased that I have reached an agreement with the club to continue cooperation. When we look back on the past two years, we can think with pride about the two trophies we took and many examples of progress compared to the situation when I came to the club”.
In the future, ten Hag will work with a new sporting director coming from Newcastle and Dan Ashworth is pleased to have the opportunity to work with ten Hag.
“With two trophies won in the last two seasons, Erik has established himself as one of the most successful coaches in European football. Although last season showed that there is room for improvement, we have come to the clear conclusion that Erik was the best coach we have worked with when setting up standards and achieving results”. Alex Ferguson coached Manchester United for 27 years, and eight coaches changed after him. If he lasts until the end of the next season, Erik ten Hag will be the first coach after Ferguson who managed to combine three seasons in the Old Trafford team.
