Manchester United Owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has announced SAD news for Erig Ten Hag this evening after a press conference he held today with Manchester United board
Erik ten Hag won’t need guidance from a Wembley official to get to the dressing room area when he gets off the Manchester United squad van on Sunday.
Since taking over United two years ago, the Dutchman will be making his fourth trip to the national stadium this weekend when United plays Coventry City in the FA Cup semi-final. His two most recent trips were for the FA Cup semi-final and final last season, and his first was for the Carabao Cup final.
Ten Hag oversaw a 2-0 victory against Newcastle while leading United to their first title since 2017. That was under the renowned arch. When the team played Manchester City in the second domestic cup final of the season in June, he had fantasies of returning to the Royal Balcony.
But United is aware that they need to win in order to save their season going into their match against Coventry on Sunday. They concluded the Carabao Cup early, their European campaign ended before kids had finished eating the contents of their advent calendars, and their chances of making it to the Champions League the next season are all but gone.
The only thing United can do to turn this meaningless season around is win the FA Cup. It could also be Ten Hag’s sole hope of retaining his position.
Undoubtedly, United is the favorite going into their first FA Cup matchup with Coventry since 1987, but optimism is unlikely to be high among the team. United has lost three of their past four games and drawn three since setting up a meeting with Mark Robins’ team.
With six Premier League games remaining, Aston Villa’s 2-0 victory against Arsenal the day before and Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Bournemouth have left them 13 points outside of the top four. United still has to finish the season as well as possible even if their chances of qualifying for the Champions League are pretty much gone. This is because they need to make sure they qualify for the Europa League, which is the second-best European trophy available. The fight for European qualifying is becoming more and more competitive, with West Ham and Chelsea closing in on them.
Following their trip to Wembley on Sunday, United will play two consecutive home league games against Sheffield United and Burnley, two teams that are nearly certain relegation in the next weeks. With just three wins in away league games this season, United shouldn’t have any other goals in mind than six points and two well-executed performances.
