Erik Ten Hag is set to complete his second season as manager of Manchester United. His tenure has been filled with a lot of on-the-field and off-the-field controversies. There were expectations that his second season would prove to be fruitful, but that has not been the case so far. However, he still has a shot to change that and keep his job heading into next season.
The club are set to face Coventry in the Semi-Finals of the FA Cup later this week. They got to the Semis after having beaten Liverpool in an exciting Quarter-Final matchup. Since their 4-3 triumph against Liverpool in the FA Cup, Erik Ten Hag’s men have drawn three and lost one game in the Premier League.
In the last four games, the Red Devils have conceded nine goals and looked miles off their best. They have conceded a total of 107 shots, which is an extremely concerning stat for Ten Hag’s men. Their opponents are a Coventry side that has lost three of their last four games. However, they have been confident in their ability to make a deep run as they got to this stage after getting past PL side Wolves.
FA Cup is going to be key for Erik Ten Hag if he wants to keep his job
Erik Ten Hag had a remarkable debut season as he helped the club clinch a trophy and a European spot. However, the second campaign has raised a lot of questions about his abilities to coach a team like United. The club faced a disappointing group-stage exit in the Champions League, winning just one of the six games and conceding 15 goals.
Erik Ten Hag has also not been able to keep Manchester United competitive in the Premier League. With just six games left, the Red Devils are seventh in the standings with 50 points. They could potentially be pushed off the European spots by Chelsea [44 points] who still have eight games left in the league.
With the arrival of INEOS, a lot of changes have been made to the sporting structure at Manchester United. If Erik Ten Hag is to keep his place, then he will have to prove that he is worthy and his only shot at doing that now is winning the FA Cup and clinching a spot in Europe.
Erik Ten Hag will need the best from his players during the final stretch of the season
Even if Manchester United get the better of their Championship opponents in the FA Cup Semi-Finals they could be up against Manchester City or Chelsea in the Finals of the competition. Both of these fixtures could prove to be tricky for United as they have struggled to find momentum in the last few encounters.
With six games left to be played in the Premier League, Erik Ten Hag will be hoping that the team improve their league form. They have games against Arsenal and Newcastle, which could be difficult considering that the Red Devils have had a lot of injury problems this season.
Marcus Rashford and Anthony are two players that have been under the spotlight all season. They have failed to deliver good performances and that has been reflected in the results of the club. With a lot still left to play, these youngsters will be looking to get their form back and help the club finish the season on a high note.
