Erik ten Hag was saved by FA Cup glory, like Sir Alex, but Ineos have humiliated the Dutchman and undermined his authority – and he’s not in the clear just yet, writes CHRIS WHEELER

Winning the FA Cup saved Sir Alex Ferguson’s glory, and now Erik ten Hag appears to have come to the rescue too.

From a dead man who walked into Wembley eighteen days ago, Ten Hag finally has a vote of confidence and the promise of a contract extension.

“Football, bloody hell,” was Ferguson’s most memorable line, and it never felt more appropriate than when news of United’s turnaround broke late last night.

An end-of-season review that felt like little more than camouflage for Sir Jim Ratcliffe and new minority owners Ineos to offer his job to anyone who would listen ended, quite extraordinarily, with the Dutchman taking the lead was retained.

The feel-good factor of United’s victory over Manchester City last month, and the palpable outpouring of support for Ten Hag among the fanbase, has clearly cost Ratcliffe his head.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his Ineos group have decided to retain Ten Hag and offer him a new contract

The feel-good factor of the FA Cup and the huge support from the fans have clearly cost Ratcliffe his head

Club sources confirmed last night that winning his second trophy in two seasons – and the way United surprisingly won 2-1 at City – was one of the main reasons Ten Hag has kept his job, as was the professionalism and dignity with which he conducted. themselves in very difficult circumstances.

United also recognized the work Ten Hag has done in developing young players such as Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho – the two goalscorers at Wembley – and concluded that he deserved the opportunity to prove himself in a new structure led by CEO Omar Berrada. sporting director Dan Ashworth and technical director Jason Wilcox.

After delving into United’s worst ever Premier League season and lamentable group stage exit from the Champions League, they concluded that the chronic injury list and difficulty in recruiting new players Mason Mount, Rasmus Hojlund and Andre Onana to attract some empathy.

On the other hand, there was a legitimate view that if Ineos thought Ten Hag was roasted at lunch on the day of the cup final, they should have stuck to their guns after he climbed the steps to the Royal Box to receive Ratcliffe’s congratulations to receive.

But how many times have we talked about Mark Robins’ goal that saved Ferguson from destruction before winning the FA Cup in 1990? Look at what happened next, and Ineos is probably hoping that there can also be a happy ending to this chapter in United’s history.

We’ll never know how close they came to sacking Ten Hag and shaking hands with Gareth Southgate, Thomas Tuchel, Mauricio Pochettino, Thomas Frank or whoever, and that might be the biggest cloud on the horizon right now.

Can Ten Hag restore the working relationship with the people who were so willing to put him aside and discuss his job with other candidates?

It is understood that discussions took place with Pochettino and Frank in the week of the cup final. Last week Ratcliffe entertained Tuchel in Monaco.

Man United recognizes the work Ten Hag has done with Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho

There is no doubt that the saga has humiliated Ten Hag, despite the Dutchman remaining in post

Just last week, former Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel was entertained by Ratcliffe in Monaco

Mauricio Pochettino, left, and Thomas Frank, right, are said to have held talks in the week leading up to the FA Cup final

There is no doubt that this entire saga has humiliated Ten Hag and undermined his authority, even if it has had a positive outcome for the 54-year-old.

He is likely to have significantly less say over new transfers under the new order, having spent £400m on players since joining Old Trafford from Ajax in the summer of 2022, amid concerns over the influence of his agent Kees Voss in a number of United transfers. association.

And there is still the suspicion that Ten Hag, even though Ratcliffe did not wield the ax this time, may not yet be in the clear. New owners are happy to appoint their own men after paying £1.3 billion for the privilege.

Southgate is known to be admired by the Ineos owner, but leading England to the European Championship always felt like an inconvenience too far.

Southgate refused to commit at this stage and the final is a day before United’s opening match against Rosenborg in Trondheim. The margins were too tight, the options too varied.

But what if Southgate leaves his post after the tournament, as he suggested in an interview with German publication Bild this week, and is available as we enter layoff season towards the end of the year?

Gareth Southgate indicated this week that he could leave England after the European Championship

Ten Hag will be backing himself to make Man United a force and deliver even more silverware

If Ten Hag gets off to a similar start next season as he did last season, he could be wide open again.

But that’s a concern for another day. He is a proud man and will back himself to produce a season that looks more like his first at United than his second, with a decent transfer window behind him and the key players back fit.

Ten Hag will believe he can make United a force in the Premier League and have a good chance of winning the Europa League – another reward for winning the FA Cup at Wembley.

This is a victory for him and one he feels well deserved. Like Ferguson, he has been granted a reprieve. Now he has to make the best of it.