Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag’s future has been at the forefront of speculation in recent weeks. As reported by The Athletic back in November, the Dutchman’s future is under scrutiny amid a mixed Christmas period in which The Red Devils lost 2 out of 3 festive fixtures to West Ham and Nottingham Forest either side of a thrilling comeback win over Aston Villa on Boxing Day.
Despite the all-round terrible season to date, there are reasons to be optimistic that the former Ajax and Bayern Munich reserves coach can turn it around.
Erik ten Hag’s Future – Why He Can Still Turn It Around
Watch: Manchester United in CRISIS
Players Returning From Injury
One of the key mitigating circumstances in analyzing Manchester United’s season thus far has been the sheer number of injuries to contend with. At times, the team was down to its bare bones, especially in defence with long-term injuries to Luke Shaw, Lisandro Martinez, Harry Maguire and Tyrell Malacia as well as the likes of Casemiro and Mason Mount in midfield.
With most of the aforementioned either already back in training or close to it, Ten Hag should have more options to call upon going into the second half of the season.
An (In Theory) More Stable Footballing Structure
Having acquired a 25% stake in the club, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, alongside Dave Brailsford and Jean-Claude Blanc, will set about revamping an outdated footballing structure that has been one of the main causes of United’s sharp decline in the past decade, illustrated by a scattergun approach to player recruitment in favour of driving the commercial side of the club.
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Whilst the unpopular Glazer family will retain control of commercial activities, Ten Hag will hopefully be able to count on more support from above in terms of transfers and talent ID as INEOS Chief Ratcliffe gets to work on bringing the club into the modern era in order to compete with the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool.
A Less Congested Schedule
Ironically, their underperformance in the first half of the Premier League season could spur the Red Devils into form on the home stretch, having been eliminated from the Carabao Cup and European competitions entirely.
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With top 4 rivals such as Aston Villa, Brighton and West Ham still fighting on European fronts, the manager will hope that the extra rest and recovery afforded to his side will pay dividends at the business end of the campaign.
Conclusion
Whilst it is apparent that he hasn’t always managed in-game situations well, Ten Hag’s future should be safe for at least the remainder of the season. The Dutchman has had to contend with an array of mitigating circumstances and should be given a chance to turn around United’s fortunes as the club moves into a new era and, hopefully, in an upward direction.
