Having reached the final of the FA Cup in unconvincing fashion, Manchester United should part ways with manager Erik ten Hag whether or not they win the FA Cup final, writes KickOff's Lukhanyo Mtuta.
United needed penalties to overcome Championship side Coventry City in the second semi-final of the FA Cup on Sunday. The Red Devils avoided embarrassment by winning the match in the shootout, as they capitulated during regular time by squandering a 3-0 lead to end the match 3-3.
Although they got the victory in the end, the result highlighted many negative aspects of the club this term, with Ten Hag being the most glaring of them all. It has become an unavoidable fact that the Dutch boss is not performing to the level that many would expect for a big club like United, as the team have already lost 17 out of 45 matches in all competitions this term.
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The performances on the pitch have also been underwhelming, with the team scoring just 47 goals in the Premier League, which is better than only six other clubs in the league, namely: Wolverhampton Wanderers, Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest, Burnley, Sheffield United, and Everton.
Indeed, questions over his long-term future at the club surfaced in late 2023 after United were dumped out of the UEFA Champions League, an elimination that was made worse by the fact that the side finished bottom of their group behind Bayern Munich, Copenhagen, and Galatasaray, who dropped down to the UEFA Europa League at least.
Although that could have been a turning point, the club showed restraint and persisted with their coach but in hindsight, that decision could have been taken with the partial takeover of Sir. Jim Ratcliffe in mind. Nevertheless, results have not improved in any significant way since then although the club did go through somewhat of a purple patch in the early months of this year.
Ultimately, United are almost certain to miss the Champions League next season and reports linking other managers with Ten Hag's job have been telltale sign that his exit is almost inevitable.
While reaching a domestic cup final would buy most managers some time, the season that the club have endured should be compelling enough to make management make the call on Ten Hag, whether or not he wins the FA Cup. against Manchester City on 25 May.
The Dutchman has a season remaining on his current deal, and from an economic perspective, the club would not take a huge financial hit by sacking him this year.
Moreover, it would not be the first time that United have sacked a coach immediately after they won a trophy, as this did so with Louis van Gaal after he won the FA Cup in 2016, two years into his three-year term.
The irony of Ten Hag having the exact same fate as his countryman at Old Trafford would be quite something, but it would be decision that many feel is long overdue.
Furthermore, it would not be outlandish to announce his dismissal sooner rather than later, as it would give the club more time to find a replacement.
Bayern have already announced that Thomas Tuchel will not retain his position next season and that doesn't really seem to have affected the club poorly, as he has still kept the German side in the semi-finals of the Champions League.
It is a similar case for Xavi at Barca, as he will also leave the club at the end of the season but has managed to guide them to quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time since the 2019/20 campaign.
Therefore, the announcement of a coach leaving hasn't had a detrimental impact on the club and United would be doing themselves justice by announcing their decision on Ten Hag now.
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