Last Saturday was yet another magical day in the rich history of Man United as the Red Devils overcame Man City to claim their 13th FA Cup crown at Wembley.
Heading into the finale of the English football season, a report from The Guardian dominated the conversation around the cup final. It said that no matter the result against the Premier League champions, Man United would sack Erik ten Hag at the end of the campaign.
The 2023/24 season has been a very underwhelming one for Man United as they finished eighth in the Premier League – their lowest-ever finish in England’s top flight. This term also saw United suffer 14 league defeats in a single term, which is their highest since recording 16 during the 1989/90 campaign under Sir Alex Ferguson.
Away from England’s top flight, the Manchester club were dumped out of the Champions League in the group stage, finishing bottom of their group.
Their Carabao Cup defence was a failure and even their run to the FA Cup was marred by their disgraceful showing in the semi-final against Championship outfit Coventry City, where the Premier League club threw away a 3-0 lead.
Saturday was a magical day and an impressive performance from Man United, but the shine of the FA Cup cannot blind the Manchester club from what they really want, the Premier League title.
That trophy has sat in the cabinets of their biggest rivals, Man City and Liverpool, for the last seven years. This undoubtedly hurts fans of the Manchester giants as the Red Devils have failed to lift England’s most important trophy since 2013 and under the management of Erik ten Hag, that wait will rumble on.
The Dutch coach has shown this season that he is simply not good enough to be a Premier League manager, well at least for a club in the “Big Six”. The 54-year-old is certainly good at what he does, but he has crumbled under the pressure at Old Trafford.
With Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS set to oversee their first transfer window at Man United this summer, this is the perfect time for the Premier League giants to move on from Ten Hag.
Sooner or later, the new part-owners at United will want their own man to lead their project and with so many top coaches available at present, the next few months could build the foundations for the return of Manchester United.
Who should Man United appoint as their new manager?
Over recent weeks, several managers have been linked to the hot seat at Man United, which is unquestionably the hardest job in English football.
Thomas Tuchel, Thomas Frank and Gareth Southgate have been long-term candidates under consideration; while Kieran McKenna, Roberto De Zerbi and Mauricio Pochettino have recently made their way onto the Manchester club’s list.
If INEOS feel they can control him and give him what he wants, Tuchel is the man the Premier League giants should appoint.
The German coach is a top tactician and has a strong personality to control some of the characters in the United dressing room who lack motivation and effort. However, the former Chelsea boss tends to fall out with the board at most clubs he has been at, hence why he is available after being let go by Bayern Munich.
Tuchel is believed to want the manager’s role at Old Trafford and there are much worse choices out there than the 50-year-old.
If building a project from its foundations is INEOS’ goal at Man United, Roberto De Zerbi should be the next man the Red Devils should approach. The Italian has Premier League experience, has an eye-catching style of play and is able to develop young players.
Man United need to build their future around Kobbie Mainoo, Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Hojlund and the former Brighton boss would certainly be able to take their games to the next level.
Either one of these coaches would be an exciting appointment for the Manchester giants.
Keeping Ten Hag is not an option. The FA Cup victory makes it harder to part ways with the Dutch coach as he is a likeable character and has brought two trophies back to Old Trafford. However, the former Ajax boss couldn’t fix United’s problem across an entire campaign, which is a damning sign.
Saturday will be remembered by Man United supporters forever, but if they want to wrestle the Premier League title back into the red half of Manchester, they cannot let the shine of the FA Cup blind them.
