As United plan ahead for next season, recruitment responsibilities will no longer be primarily his. That will create a new dynamic. On a point of principle, it is difficult for any coach to adjust to a situation where the board is making it known they will be more cautious about pursuing deals without forensic due diligence, or might even refuse outright before proposing alternative targets who they believe have been more thoroughly scouted than those signed before.
Well-run clubs will establish that the coach is comfortable with this arrangement during the appointment process. Ten Hag is now in a situation where he will have no choice but to adapt to the changes that are afoot, especially when United finally appoint a director of football.
You will have to think long and hard for an example of a major investor who took over a football team who stopped competing for the biggest honours and, as part of their restructure, stuck with the coach they inherited. A Manchester United manager who finished bottom of the Champions League group and was out of the title race by the end of October is obviously vulnerable.
Of course, Ten Hag’s staunchest defenders will suggest there are mitigating factors in his struggles this season, especially a long injury list. Last year’s top-four finish and Carabao Cup win are credit in the bank. That was a notable first step in Ten Hag’s debut season in the Premier League, and the goodwill he accumulated from those achievements counts in his favour – the biggest reason why he is still in post.
One of the more extraordinary facts about Ten Hag is that he will surpass Sir Alex Ferguson’s win percentage should his side beat Tottenham Hotspur this weekend.
A more damning statistic is that United have lost 14 of their 29 fixtures this season.
Finding the right manager is difficult… but improvement can be swift
Looking back to my own experience at a club undergoing a massive executive overhaul, Roy Hodgson’s brief reign at Liverpool is regarded as the worst since Bill Shankly was appointed in 1959. Hodgson lost nine in 31 games before he was sacked, not coincidentally three months after Fenway Sports Group bought the club and wanted a different profile of coach on the touchline.
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