Gary Neville believes Erik ten Hag would have been in ‘big trouble’ if he hadn’t have won the FA Cup… but the ex-Man United defender reveals he’s happy the Dutchman will remain for the club’s revamped structure

Gary Neville is convinced Manchester United’s FA Cup win last season saved Erik ten Hag’s job and says he is pleased the Dutchman will remain in the Old Trafford dugout.

Ten Hag was given a one-year contract extension by the Red Devils last week, keeping him at the club until June 2026. He had been in talks with United over a new deal after co-owner Ineos decided to keep him on following an end-of-season review.

The new contract on current terms signals greater support for Ten Hag from the leadership team, which also includes new sporting director Dan Ashworth and technical director Jason Wilcox.

Neville believes the Red Devils’ cup success against arch-rivals Manchester City was crucial to Ten Hag’s retention, and he hopes the club’s new structure will also lead to success on the pitch.

“It’s been a miserable season for Man United in the Premier League,” he told Sky Sports. “I think if Erik ten Hag hadn’t won the FA Cup final he would have been in big trouble.

The Dutchman was the driving force behind a surprise cup win over Manchester City after a disappointing Premier League campaign

The new contract on existing terms indicates more support for Ten Hag. Pictured: Minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe (right) and Sir Dave Brailsford

‘But winning the final against Manchester City, two trophies in two years – Man United flirted with other managers and came to the conclusion that they couldn’t find anyone who could do the job better than Ten Hag.

“I’m happy he stayed in the end. The reason he got a new contract is to give him some strength. He had one year left and the idea that there was a ticking clock, we would ask him and the club every ten minutes.

‘He will obviously have to perform this season, that doesn’t relieve him of the burden, but I hope that all the appointments that have been made in and around Ten Hag, such as the new CEO, particularly Dan Ashworth, who brings calm and deserves a mention in the context of this England team, are honoured.

‘In recent years he has been one of the people who played a key role in laying the foundations for his new England.

‘With Ashworth and those other people you don’t get a situation where Man United panic in the transfer window and start scoring from the sidelines, like they did in previous years.

“I think it’s going to be very measured. If they can’t get who they want, they’re not going to buy anyone. They’re going to make sure they’re focused and precise in what they do going forward.

‘That should give Ten Hag more stability and better advice, which can help him further.’

In a statement following the confirmation of his new contract, Ten Hag indicated that he would like to continue working at the club, but admitted that there was ‘still a lot of hard work to be done’.

‘I am very pleased that we have reached an agreement with the club to continue the collaboration.

‘Looking back over the past two years, we can look back with pride on two trophies and the many examples of progress since I joined.

Man United’s new technical director Dan Ashworth has called Ten Hag one of the ‘most consistently successful coaches’ in Europe

‘However, we must also be aware that there is still a lot of work to be done to reach the level expected of Manchester United, which means fighting for the English and European titles.

‘During my discussions with the club, we have found that we are in complete agreement on how we want to achieve those goals and we are determined to make that journey together.’

Ashworth welcomed the news ahead of Ten Hag’s return for pre-season training on Monday, saying: “With two trophies in the last two seasons, Erik has cemented his reputation as one of the most consistently successful coaches in European football.

There have been major changes at the cub since the arrival of Sir Jim Ratcliffe. In addition to the recruitment of Ashworth and Omar Berrada from Premier League rivals, talks continue with Ruud van Nistelrooy and Rene Hake to become Ten Hag’s new assistants at Old Trafford.