Manchester United Manager Faces Potential Firing After FA Cup Victory, Vows to ‘Go Anywhere Else to Win Trophies
By Manchester United Manager Faces Uncertainty Despite FA Cup Triumph
After winning a major trophy, particularly by defeating an overwhelming favorite in the final, teams typically bask in the glory of their achievement. However, Manchester United’s celebrations after their stunning FA Cup victory over Manchester City on Sunday were overshadowed by reports suggesting that manager Erik ten Hag might be fired regardless of the result.
When asked about these reports following Sunday’s victory, Ten Hag highlighted his trophy-winning record. “If they don’t want me anymore, then I’ll go anywhere else to win trophies because that is what I have done my whole career,” he told reporters.
“The team is progressing, and we are winning trophies. Two trophies in two years is not bad,” he added, referencing last year’s League Cup win. “Three finals is not bad, but we have to keep going. I’m not satisfied with it.”
CNN has reached out to Manchester United for comment on the rumors regarding Ten Hag’s future with the club.
Despite a promising start to his tenure almost two years ago, Ten Hag presided over United’s worst-ever Premier League season this year, finishing eighth and missing out on European football. The team’s erratic league performances culminated in a 4-0 loss to Crystal Palace earlier this month, increasing pressure on Ten Hag and heightening the sense of crisis at the club.
Ten Hag cited an injury crisis as a factor in United’s inconsistency, but new investment from British petrochemical billionaire Jim Ratcliffe has amplified calls for improvement. Before the FA Cup final, there was a pervasive sense of inevitability that United would lose to a dominant Manchester City, which had recently secured the Premier League title.
However, United’s teenage stars Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo scored in quick succession in the first half, securing a 2-1 victory over City. “I’m in a project and we are exactly where we want to be,” Ten Hag said afterward. “We are constructing a team, and when I took over, it was a mess at Man Utd. We are now on our way to constructing a team for the future. There is still a lot of work to do, but we are exactly where we are. We have value in the squad, and we have players with high potential who are progressing very well.”
Despite this trophy-winning performance, Ten Hag’s future remains uncertain. Manchester United has a precedent for sacking a manager immediately after winning the FA Cup, as they did with Louis van Gaal in 2016. Ten Hag has yet to bring the stability and success that characterized United during the 1990s and 2000s.