Manchester United Owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has announced SAD news for Erig Ten Hag this evening after a press conference he held today with Manchester United board
Erik ten Hag will not need to ask a Wembley employee how to get to the locker room when he gets off the Manchester United team bus on Sunday.
The Dutch manager will be at Wembley four times since taking over United two years ago, the fourth time being for this weekend’s FA Cup semi-final against Coventry City. The first time he went was for the Carabao Cup final last season. The last two times were for the FA Cup semi-final and final.
In front of the famous arch, Ten Hag oversaw a 2-0 win over Newcastle that gave United their first trophy since 2017. A second trip to the Royal Balcony was on his bucket list. In June, when they played Manchester City in the second home cup final of the season, that chance came true.
But United knows they need to win their game against Coventry on Sunday in order to keep their season alive. They didn’t make it into the Carabao Cup, so they won’t be playing in Europe next season. Meanwhile, kids were already eating the treats in their advent calendars.
The only way for United to recover something from a bad season is to win the FA Cup. It might be the only way for Ten Hag to keep his job as well.
There’s no doubt that United will be the favorites in their first FA Cup match against Coventry since 1987 on Sunday, but the team probably doesn’t feel very confident. United hasn’t won any of their last four games since setting up a date with Mark Robins’ team. They’ve drawn three and lost one.
They are now 13 points behind the top four teams in the Premier League, after a 2-2 draw with Bournemouth on Saturday and a 2-0 win over Arsenal 24 hours later. They still have six games to play. Even though United’s chances of qualifying for the Champions League are pretty much over, they still need to finish the season on a high note, not least to make sure they qualify for the Europa League, which is the second best prize in Europe. It’s getting more and more competitive to get into Europe. West Ham and Chelsea are close behind them.
Following their trip to Wembley on Sunday, United play Sheffield United and Burnley at home in the league next week. Both teams are likely to be dropped. United should not be aiming for anything other than six points and two strong efforts since they have only won three away league games all season.
