WHAT HAPPENED?
United’s new minority owners, INEOS, have officially given the manager their vote of confidence, one month after calling off the search for a replacement. United has triggered the extension of Ten Hag’s initial three-year contract, which means he will sign on the same terms as previously and will not be paid more. United are still putting up a new coaching staff for Ten Hag, with veteran striker Ruud van Nistelrooy being considered for a position.
WHAT TEN HAG SAID
“I am very pleased to have reached agreement with the club to continue working together. Looking back at the past two years, we can reflect with pride on two trophies and many examples of progression from where we were when I joined,” Ten Hag said. “However, we must also be clear that there is still lots of hard work ahead to reach the levels expected of Manchester United, which means challenging for English and European titles. In my discussions with the club, we have found complete unity in our vision for reaching those goals, and we are all strongly committed to making that journey together.”
WHAT DAN ASHWORTH SAID
“With two trophies in the past two seasons, Erik has reinforced his record as one of the most consistently successful coaches in European football,” said Dan Ashworth, United’s new sporting director. “While the club’s review of last season highlighted areas for improvement, it also reached a clear conclusion that Erik was the best partner for us to work with in driving up standards and outcomes. This group of players and staff have already shown they are capable of competing and winning at the top level; now we need to do it more consistently. With our strengthened football leadership team now in place, we are looking forward to working hand-in-hand with Erik to achieve our shared ambitions for this football club.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
United launched an open search for a new manager after the club’s results plummeted towards the end of last season, leaving them eighth in the Premier League, their lowest ever finish. They interviewed Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna, Mauricio Pochettino, and Thomas Frank, as well as Thomas Tuchel, before selecting Ten Hag was the best candidate for the post. Ten Hag’s contribution in driving United to win in the FA Cup final over Manchester City was a major factor in the decision to give him another chance to redeem himself.
WHAT IS NEXT?
Ten Hag has been working as a pundit for Dutch network NOS during Euro 2024, but he will shortly begin training for United’s pre-season campaign, which starts on July 15 with a friendly away to Rosenborg, Norway. The Red Devils will also face Rangers before traveling on a tour to the United States, where they will play Arsenal, Real Betis, and Liverpool. They will also face City again at Wembley in the Community Shield before their Premier League start against Fulham on August 16.
