Manchester United have reportedly decided to sack Erik ten Hag regardless of the outcome of Saturday’s FA Cup final.
The Dutch coach has endured a difficult second season at Old Trafford, finishing eighth in the Premier League – the club’s lowest finish since 1990 – and falling short in the Champions League and Carabao Cup.
While they have made the FA Cup showpiece at Wembley, they begin as underdogs against rivals Manchester City.
According to The Guardian, United co-owners Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos have decided to dispense with Ten Hag even if they upset the odds and beat City.
Thomas Tuchel, Mauricio Pochettino, Kieran McKenna, Thomas Frank and Graham Potter will reportedly be considered as a replacement for Ten Hag.
Erik ten Hag will reportedly be sacked regardless of how Man United fare in the FA Cup final
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The move would represent the most decisive action since Ratcliffe and Ineos completed their purchase of a 27.7 per cent stake from the Glazer family last December, taking over control of football operations.
They have wasted no time in reshaping United’s executive structure and sketching out plans to rebuild Old Trafford but have remained non-committal over Ten Hag’s future in recent weeks.
The only way United can qualify for European football next season is by beating City, which would earn them a spot in the UEFA Europa League.
After a strong first season in charge after joining from Ajax, which saw Ten Hag guide United to a third place finish in the Premier League and Carabao Cup success, they have slipped backwards.
United’s European campaign was over by Christmas after they finished bottom of a group featuring Bayern Munich, Copenhagen and Galatasaray, while Newcastle knocked them out the Carabao Cup.
They lost 14 Premier League matches and finished with a negative goal difference, ending up eighth, some 31 points shy of champions City and eight points off qualifying for the Champions League.
In the FA Cup, United defeated Liverpool in the quarter-finals but required penalties to overcome Coventry City in the semi-finals after throwing away a 3-0 lead.
More to follow.