Erik ten Hag tells INEOS it’s “common sense” to keep him as Manchester United manager

Erik ten Hag has claimed that it’s “common sense” for INEOS to keep him on as Manchester United manager after the FA Cup final.

The Reds have had a disastrous campaign in the Premier League this term and also finished bottom of their Champions League group.

However, Ten Hag’s men still have a chance of achieving some sort of success before the end of the campaign, with the upcoming FA Cup final against Manchester City.

Ten Hag will enter his third cup final during his Old Trafford tenure with players returning from injury, and he will be hoping to stun many people by winning against Pep Guardiola’s side.

Ten Hag fires response to FA Cup final question

Speaking ahead of the club’s Premier League clash against Arsenal this weekend, Ten Hag was asked about the upcoming Wembley final.

While a victory against City would be excellent for United and Ten Hag, there are question marks over whether a single result would sway INEOS’ decision on whether he should depart the club or not.

Louis van Gaal was famously sacked moments after he won the FA Cup final against Crystal Palace in 2016, and journalists asked Ten Hag if he was fearful of a similar fate.

“No, I think they [INEOS] have common sense,” stated the manager. “They have seen you have 32 different backlines, when you lose eight centre-backs, when we see we don’t have a left-back, they know that will have a negative impact.

“But we are still fighting, and it’s a huge FA Cup final. We are still there; it can be a highlight of the season, but we know why we are underperforming. I am a realistic person, I see this, I analyse and no team will perform with these injuries.”

FA Cup final shouldn’t impact Ten Hag’s future

Ultimately, whether INEOS are planning to stick with the Dutch manager or not, the result in the FA Cup final should not hugely impact their decision.

United have been too reactive under the Glazer ownership, whether that be in terms of the management or playing squad.

A victory would be extremely sweet but it would be surprising if INEOS had not already made their decision on the manager at Old Trafford.