Revealed: The dressing room collapse at Man United. Underachieving players are no longer listening to Erik ten Hag with his authority eroded
- Ten Hag is holding on to his job after a humiliating defeat at Crystal Palace
Manchester United will remain with Erik ten Hag for the time being, but the increasing uncertainty about his future at Old Trafford is undermining the Dutchman’s authority in the dressing room.
Mail Sport revealed last month that United’s players expect Ten Hag to be sacked at the end of the season – a scenario that came significantly closer after Monday’s crushing 4-0 defeat at Crystal Palace.
New co-owner Ineos is reluctant to make a quick decision and Ten Hag is likely to remain in charge for the remaining three Premier League games and the FA Cup final against Manchester City.
But he is looking increasingly unlikely to survive the end of the season, and insiders have spoken about how the sense of uncertainty has seeped into the dressing room and undermined the manager’s position.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has failed to give Ten Hag a vote of confidence, and personal talks between the squad and its Ineos sporting director, Sir Dave Brailsford, have focused on changing the culture at the club, leaving players assuming that the Dutchman no longer figures in Ratcliffe’s plans.
Speculation over Erik ten Hag’s future has created a sense of uncertainty around Man United
Monday night’s miserable 4-0 defeat to Crystal Palace put further pressure on the manager
Mitchell van der Gaag (left), Ten Hag’s number two, can also be abrasive to the team
It is believed that this affects their response to his instructions during matches and training. Although Ten Hag insisted after the Palace debacle that the players are behind him, he accused them of ‘making big mistakes, not following the plan, the script and the rules that we have’.
Until now, Ineos has taken an open attitude about the future of Ten Hag, partly due to the lack of good alternatives. Ratcliffe and Brailsford have focused on building a management team, with CEO Omar Berrada and Dan Ashworth not due to start their work until the summer.
It is believed that new technical director Jason Wilcox is still making his initial assessment of the Carrington set-up under Ten Hag, who has been fully involved in the pre-season planning.
After the uplifting 4-3 victory over Liverpool in the FA Cup last month, there was genuine belief that he could stay on to be part of the new structure.
But disastrous defeats to Palace and Chelsea, disappointing draws against Burnley and Bournemouth, and United’s collapse before beating Coventry on penalties in the FA Cup semi-final appear to have sealed his fate.
Ineos will leave him in charge for the remainder of the season, although it has been suggested among staff that Steve McClaren could step in as caretaker if the situation were to collapse.
Thomas Tuchel’s representatives have made it clear he wants the job as he prepares to leave Bayern Munich, but there are concerns over the former Chelsea manager’s abrasive nature.
Julian Nagelsmann and Gareth Southgate will only be available after the European Championship, while other contenders include Ruben Amorim, Graham Potter, Roberto De Zerbi and Thomas Frank.
It has been suggested among the staff that assistant coach Steve McClaren will take over immediately
Mauricio Pochettino is unlikely to be offered the hotseat if he leaves Chelsea this summer
Mauricio Pochettino, Ten Hag’s main rival for the job two years ago, is unlikely to be considered if he leaves Chelsea this summer.
The fact that there is no star player could provide Ten Hag with a lifeline, but his position seems increasingly untenable.
