Erik ten Hag faces an anxious wait to discover whether his FA Cup victory will be enough to save his job at Man United… after club chiefs held talks with potential replacements

Erik ten Hag is waiting to find out if winning the FA Cup will be enough to save his job as Manchester United boss.

United’s 2-1 win over Manchester City at Wembley was overshadowed by a wave of speculation over Ten Hag’s future after co-owner Ineos held talks with potential replacements Thomas Tuchel, Mauricio Pochettino, Thomas Frank and Kieran McKenna.

United are now conducting an end-of-season review before making a decision on Ten Hag, who has been monitored in recent months by Ineos sporting director Sir Dave Brailsford and the club’s new technical director Jason Wilcox.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe entered the United dressing room after the match to congratulate Ten Hag and his players, but the Ineos owner was not present at a party at the Marriott hotel in Mayfair on Saturday evening, nor were co-chairmen Joel and Avram Glazer .

Ten Hag went on holiday on Sunday after sending a defiant message to his bosses that he would ‘go elsewhere to win trophies’ if they don’t want him.

Thomas Tuchel (left) and Mauricio Pochettino (right) are among the potential replacements

It is also questionable whether the trust between the Dutchman and Ineos has been irreparably damaged after they spoke to managers behind his back, despite having offered him guarantees about his position.

Ten Hag still has thirteen months left on the three-year contract he signed after leaving Ajax in 2022, but some of his staff, such as attacking coach Benni McCarthy, expires next month and are now in limbo.

Ten Hag’s prospects looked bleak after United’s worst league result in 34 years saw them miss out on automatic qualification for Europe for the second time since 1990. Still, the victory over City earned him a second trophy in two years and clinched a place in the Europa League.

The nature of the victory at Wembley – outsmarting Pep Guardiola and denying the Premier League champions the Double – has given Ratcliffe and Ineos food for thought. The fans seemed to fully support Ten Hag, and so did his team. Several senior players have returned in recent matches, which the 54-year-old has always insisted would improve United’s form.

Despite winning the FA Cup, there is a lot of uncertainty about Ten Hag’s future at the club

“We didn’t have those players available,” Ten Hag said at Wembley. ‘Now we produce quality and we also have quality on the bench. There you see that we have an identity, there you see that this team showed character. This team can put a plan on the pitch against a very good Manchester City.’

Ten Hag’s signature appeared on an open letter that the United team sent to fans yesterday, thanking them for their support during a difficult season. It said: ‘We know how much this club means to so many people – in Manchester and around the world.

“The support you have given us, even in times when we fell short of the standards we set for ourselves, has been incredible. We know this season hasn’t been good enough and we make no excuses. But we ended it in the best way possible, by celebrating a trophy together.”