Erik ten Hag, the Dutch manager of Manchester United, has been granted contract continuation by the club until June 2026, following endorsement from Jim Ratcliffe, a minority proprietor. This happened amidst conjecture regarding ten Hag’s future due to previous year’s underwhelming season resulting in the club coming eighth- their lowest rank ever in Premier League history.
Contrarily, United’s victory against Manchester City in the FA Cup final ensured their European League qualification and marked their second significant win in two years under ten Hag, prompting the club to extend his contract by one year from the initially set year, 2025.
Ratcliffe’s backing of ten Hag is a manifestation of his faith in the Dutch manager, after conducting a comprehensive review of United’s football division to identify potential advancements. The Club considered substitutes, including Thomas Tuchel but chose to retain ten Hag, who plans to renovate his supporting team. Possible candidates include ex-United forward Ruud van Nistelrooy and Dutch coach René Hake.
Appreciating the contract extension, Ten Hag stated his sense of accomplishment at securing two trophies over the past couple of years and the evident improvement since he took charge. He also acknowledged the uphill task ahead in fulfilling Manchester United’s expectation of contending for European and English titles, highlighting the shared vision he holds with the club in achieving these targets.
Further enhancing his confidence is the addition of the sporting director, Dan Ashworth, who just commenced his tenure after moving from Newcastle, and Jason Wilcox, the technical director, in post for several months now.
Ashworth expressed strong faith in ten Hag, praising him for his consistent success over the last two seasons marking him as one of the top-performing coaches in European football. Reflecting on the previous year’s assessment, he found areas that needed enhancement but concluded that ten Hag was the best candidate to foster improvement and drive success.
“This assembly of personnel and players has previously demonstrated their proficiency and triumph in premier tiers, the challenge now lies in exhibiting this on a regular basis. With our fortified football management team present, we are eager to collaborate closely with Erik to realise the mutual objectives of our football establishment.” – Guardian.