Four categories – New details about Man Utd’s ‘season review’ that will determine Erik ten Hag’s future emerge

Manchester United are set to determine Erik ten Hag’s future at the club through a ‘season review’, which will consist of four categories.

Erik ten Hag’s future will be determined this week as the Manchester United hierarchy conducts a season review following a campaign marked by an FA Cup victory, an eighth-place finish in the Premier League, and elimination from the Champions League before Christmas.

While the FA Cup triumph was undoubtedly the season’s highlight, and there were other impressive results, the overall performances have been largely disappointing.

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The very mixed season has led to Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS team refusing to publically show support for Ten Hag, with the new co-owners at Old Trafford choosing to wait for the season to end in order to conduct their business.

A fresh report from The Telegraph has now explained that sources within the club have indicated that the review could take “a number of days”, with INEOS no doubt wanting to be as thorough as possible with respect to their final decision.

The report also expands on what issues will be delved into as INEOS make their mind up, with four categories being outlined. It should also be noted that other reports have explained both the 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons will be taken into account.

The first is results and performances. This season, results have been poor. Wins such as the 4-3 triumph over Liverpool have been littered in between shocking losses against the likes of Crystal Palace and Brentford, with the performances on many occasions being well below par.

However, the FA Cup final and fixtures from 2022/23 have proved that when the full range of tools are available to him, Ten Hag can produce fantastic performances and results – although there is yet to be significant consistency in this department.

The second category is playing style and tactics. Jason Wilcox, the club’s new technical director, will help determine the playstyle that will exist throughout the club under the new regime. INEOS will decide whether Ten Hag can deliver said style.

Thirdly, Ten Hag will be judged on his dressing room relations – this is one aspect in which Ten Hag will excel. Despite some of the poor results, it is clear that the players still back the Dutchman, with games such as the FA Cup final proving this. Leaders such as Lisandro Martínez and Bruno Fernandes remain firmly behind the manager.

Finally, the cost and credentials of a potential replacement is also a category that will be considered. If Ten Hag were to be sacked, he and his staff would receive a severance package believed to be upwards of £10 million, and most managers currently available would then cost further compensation money.

To replace Ten Hag, INEOS would have to be entirely convinced that whoever they bring in will be a better fit than the Dutchman. Names such as Roberto de Zerbi, Thomas Frank, Thomas Tuchel, Mauricio Pochettino, and Kieran McKenna have all been linked, but many of these lack big-club experience, and others have proven to create friction at clubs.