05 March 2024 , 18:16
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Erik ten Hag has been given no assurance he will remain as Manchester United boss beyond this summer.
The pressure on Ten Hag intensified with Sunday's 3-1 derby defeat at Manchester City, which has left United in sixth spot, 11 points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa, with 11 games left. Ten Hag's future depends on whether he is able to secure Champions League football for next season, but with that looking increasingly unlikely, candidates for the United job have emerged.
Representatives of managers are understood to have put their clients in the frame for the Old Trafford job should Ten Hag – who has one more season left on his contract – be sacked at the end of the season. Despite the uncertainty surrounding his position, Ten Hag is said to have had positive discussions with new United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his right-hand man Sir Dave Brailsford.
Ten Hag, Ratcliffe and Brailsford are said to be aligned in terms of their long-term strategy for United, but the Dutchman knows the only way to safeguard his job is by winning on the pitch. Although Ten Hag has been working with United's football operations team in terms of transfer targets and planning the pre-season tour of the US, there has been no guarantee he will remain in charge for next season.
Major managerial jobs are up for grabs this summer, including Liverpool, Barcelona and Bayern Munich, with United potentially set to join them in appointing a new coach, should they decide to part ways with Ten Hag after two years.
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Although United are not understood to have held formal talks with potential candidates to replace Ten Hag, it would be remiss of the club not to have contingency plans in place if a change is deemed necessary.
Ratcliffe and his INEOS team have already set about making major changes to personnel on the football side, poaching Omar Berrada from Manchester City to be their new CEO. Dan Ashworth has been placed on gardening leave by Newcastle, after United identified him as the man they want to be their new sporting director.
Jason Wilcox, formerly of City but now at Southampton, has also been targeted by United, with a view to becoming head of recruitment, with Dougie Freedman, currently sporting director at Crystal Palace, also in the frame for that role.
United's next two games could have a huge bearing on Ten Hag's future. On Saturday, United host Everton in the Premier League, where only a win will do in their unlikely pursuit of a top-four place.
That is followed by a FA Cup quarter-final at home to arch rivals Liverpool on March 17, which is United's last chance of winning a trophy this season.
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