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Manchester United slumped to another humiliating 0-3 home defeat today at what used to be known as “Fortress Old Trafford”.
The topic of conversation on everyone’s lips is not if, but when manager Erik ten Hag will be sacked. Fans still in favour of the Dutchman keeping his job are becoming very hard to find.
Of those believing he will be fired, some believe the club’s part owner’s Ineos will give him until Christmas to turn things around, while others think the forthcoming international break – which comes after two away matches at FC Porto and Aston Villa – could be the moment of truth.
A common argument heard around the pubs and on social media is that Ineos were patient and/or indecisive in June, when they could have sacked the manager after finishing a lowly eighth in the Premier League last season.
This, they say, means they are likely to be patient and/or indecisive again now.
However, there are some key differences between Sunday 29th September and the beginning of June.
1. Ineos are properly up and running. Had Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s men sacked Ten Hag at the end of the season, the ship would have been without a captain for their first summer in charge. This would have made the transition really complicated. Now, their own people – Omar Berrada and Dan Ashworth in particular, are in place and can oversee a smooth transition. They will also have had more time to consider who they think is right for the job and even have sent out feelers. This is a key difference.
2. There is an obvious caretaker manager candidate in situ in Ruud van Nistelrooy. Ineos know fans will be excited for a club legend to take the helm while a new permanent manager is sought. This should lead to a fairly painless transition (and we all want to be the best transitions team in football, don’t we? Clear.)
3. There are arguably better options available, or potentially available, now than there were then. If the press are to be believed, Thomas Tuchel was the candidate who came closest to the job in June. It was the German who refused it because he wanted more control over transfers than Ineos were prepared to allow him. But Tuchel was perhaps never the best fit for United’s DNA.
At that time, Ipswich’s Kieran McKenna had no Premier League experience. He now has a little and is doing well. With a caretaker such as Van Nistelrooy holding the fort for a few months, McKenna could become a very viable candidate in a short period of time.
Simone Inzaghi is also not as untouchable now as he was at the end of last season and there are other managers, such as Eddie Howe, who are rumoured to be unsettled at their club. Former England manager Gareth Southgate is also available, even though he would not be a popular choice with United fans.
4. Ineos have proven they’ll give a manager a fair chance. Had Ineos sacked Ten Hag after winning the FA Cup, there would have been criticism, as there was when United did the same to Louis van Gaal. Giving him a chance may or may not have been the right thing to do, but it did show they are fair, which will encourage potential candidates that they will be treated fairly.
5. Ineos have seen first hand what the issues are. In June, with most of their people not having been long in post, there was probably a lot of “he said, she said” as to who was to blame for United’s woes. The executives have now had a chance to see exactly what is down to Ten Hag. Others – Steve McClaren and Mitchell van der Gaag for example, have been replaced.
6. There are no more excuses. There were undeniably mitigating factors to United’s poor season last time around that Ineos will have accepted. The first team did have an unprecedented number of injuries and off-field issues. None of that washes now. Ten Hag has an almost fully fit squad, strengthened with players of his choosing, and has been given the full backing of the board. Success or failure is surely now down to him as he has been given everything he needs to do the job well.
Ineos are not sentimental and they are not fools. They cannot and surely will not allow this s—tshow to continue until Christmas. Do not be surprised if the plug is pulled sooner rather than later.
Feature image Carl Recine via Getty Images
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