Can Manchester United really sack Erik ten Hag after winning the FA Cup final?
What now for the United manager and Sir Jim Ratcliffe?
Erik ten Hag has presented his Manchester United bosses with a major dilemma after masterminding Saturday’s FA Cup final triumph.
Speculation surrouding the Dutchman’s future reached a crescendo on the eve of the final, amid reports that United had already decided to sack him regardless of the outcome of the Wembley showpiece.
Despite having been, according to Alan Shearer, disrespected, Ten Hag masterminded United’s best performance of dismal campaign with his tactical maserplan working to perfection.
Ten Hag revealed before the game that the decision to play without a striker as designed to quell the threat of Phil Foden and the PFA Footballer of the Year hardly had a sniff.
United took the lead on the half hour mark when Alejandro Garnacho benefited from a huge mix-up between Josko Gvardiol and Stefan Ortega to become the first teenager to score in an FA Cup final since Cristiano Ronaldo in 2004.
Better was to come just nine minutes later when another teenage product of United’s prolific academy, Kobbie Mainoo, swept home and provided a fitting end to a flowing move.
City rallied in the second half and were unlucky not to pull a goal back when Erling Haaland rattled the crossbar, while Andre Onana produced one stunning save to keep out a Kyle Walker piledriver.
Onana was at fault late on when he allowed Jeremy Doku’s shot through his grasp but United comfortably saw out the remaining minutes to claim an unlikely victory.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe and United’s key decision makers must now decide whether or not they can be seen to dispense with a manager who has won major trophies in each of his two seasons in charge.
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