Erik ten Hag: Insights From a Turbulent Season at Manchester United as Immediate Future Clarified

A Chaotic and Inconsistent Season

The Red Devils currently sit sixth in the Premier League, six points away from Tottenham Hotspur in fifth place, which is very likely to be enough for UEFA Champions League qualification. 11 defeats in 28 Premier League games and a goal difference of zero do not paint the Dutchman’s second season in a good light, especially after such a promising first campaign, marked by a first trophy in six years and a third-place finish in the league.

With such a drop-off in both team and individual player form, the easy thing to do would be to apportion the blame to the manager, but, whilst Ten Hag is not faultless for this second season decline, it is important to put things into context.

An unprecedented and persistent injury crisis, with over 50 different injuries has severely compromised the team’s structure and rhythm, particularly in defence. Indeed, Ten Hag has only been able to field what is believed to be his first-choice backline (Diogo Dalot – Raphael Varane – Lisandro Martinez – Luke Shaw) in two games this season, illustrating both the extent of the injury situation and the lack of depth of replacements.

Despite the negatives, there have been positive moments, such as a seven-game unbeaten run at the start of the new year and a dramatic 4-3 victory over bitter rivals Liverpool in last weekend’s FA Cup quarter-final thriller. Manchester United will hope Amad Diallo’s last-minute winner will be the springboard to a relatively successful season.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe Impressed

According to Jackson, new part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is impressed with the Dutchman’s way of working and, along with right-hand man Sir Dave Brailsford, believes that the coach should be given at least until the end of the season to prove his worth at the club.

With Ten Hag involved in planning this summer’s transfer window and preparing a final assault on the Champions League places and the FA Cup semi-final with Coventry, things may yet work in his favour this season.