Following Sunday’s serious flirting with an embarrassing FA Cup semi-final loss against second-tier Coventry and persistently poor league performances, speculation and doubt regarding Ten Hag’s future at Old Trafford are mounting. Following his appointment as technical director, Jason Wilcox—who previously worked for Southampton—is reportedly expected to conduct a thorough “assessment” that would examine the manager’s qualifications going forward, as well as his strengths and shortcomings.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s ownership of sporting power and investment in the club raise the prospect of a managerial change this summer. After finishing the London Marathon on Sunday, the 71-year-old billionaire hurried to Wembley to see the mysterious crash, and the Telegraph suggests that Ten Hag would suffer a devastating loss if he fails to qualify for Europe this season. Wilcox also needs to evaluate Ten Hag’s standing with the team, which has been called into question once more in the wake of last year’s controversy over Jadon Sancho and Alejandro Garnacho’s “liking” of critical social media posts. Ten Hag must be considered the best choice for the club’s new sporting leadership, which hopes to establish a unified philosophy and style.
With just eighteen games remaining, United is 16 points outside of the Premier League top four. Aston Villa’s victory would guarantee them a spot in the Champions League. Nonetheless, there is hope that the season will not end without a trophy when Manchester City and the FA Cup final take place at Wembley next month. Football in the Europa League the next season would be contingent upon either winning that match or placing fifth or sixth in the Premier League.