Ten Hag's wait for Man Utd decision enters third week

It is much than 2 weeks since Erik Ten Hag's Manchester United hit Manchester City successful an FA Cup last billed arsenic perchance his past game.

United chiefs launced a reappraisal into nan clubs play pursuing that astonishment triumph complete rivals City, yet location is still nary determination astir nan Dutchman's future.

The build-up to nan crippled was dominated by talk of head Ten Hag’s chances of keeping his job.

Some went truthful acold arsenic to authorities that Ten Hag was a dormant man stepping and would beryllium sacked nary matter what nan result astatine Wembley, saying nan Dutchman would salary nan value for a unspeakable play successful which United vanished eighth - their worst capacity since nan 1989-90 run erstwhile Sir Alex Ferguson came adjacent to losing his job.

Ten Hag stood his crushed and successful an question and reply successful nan Netherlands said he had been told caller co-owners Ineos wanted to rebuild nan nine "with me".

It turned retired that appraisal was a spot of a stretch.

Ten Hag was reflecting his belief of a number of erstwhile conversations pinch Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Sir Dave Brailsford and Jason Wilcox, nan Ineos squad initially responsible for moving nan shot broadside astatine Old Trafford pursuing nan alteration of ownership.

In reality, United were committed to a afloat reappraisal astatine nan extremity of nan season, pinch nan manager’s early seen arsenic portion of that.

It is adjacent to opportunity astir members of nan media and galore fans thought nan reappraisal would person been completed by now and Ten Hag would cognize his fate.

But successful beating City - and ensuring European qualification they had looked group to miss retired connected - nan 54-year-old became nan first United leader to triumph trophies successful successive seasons since Sir Alex Ferguson.

That allowed him to rumor a blunt informing to his employers: “When I started present I said I americium present to triumph and besides that I want to build a team. I americium doing both. But if they don’t want maine immoderate much I will spell and triumph and games and trophies location else.”

Ten Hag headed disconnected connected vacation and United’s level began their end-of-season review, stressing nary determination astir nan head would beryllium taken until it was complete.

Within a mates of days it became evident that anyone who thought nan reappraisal would conscionable beryllium a speedy resume of nan play aliases a container ticking workout to put an due spread betwixt Ten Hag’s triumph and a dismissal were wrong.

United sources were adamant they had not group a timeline connected nan review. Assumptions of a solution by nan extremity of past week were besides incorrect and, arsenic we move into a 3rd week, still location has been nary proposal an announcement is pending.

In nan meantime, Ten Hag tin only wait.

When he was linked pinch now filled vacancies astatine erstwhile clubs Ajax and Bayern Munich successful nan spring, it was underlined his only liking was managing United, wherever he still has a twelvemonth near connected his contract.

Various names person been touted arsenic his successor, including Kieran McKenna, Mauricio Pochettino, Gareth Southgate, Graham Potter and Thomas Frank.

This weekend, it was reported, including by BBC Sport, that Thomas Tuchel nary longer wishes to beryllium considered for a vacancy that presently does not exist, having met Ratcliffe successful Monaco successful nan past week. United person not confirmed nan meeting, nor expressed a position connected nan optics astir specified a chat.

With each their players either connected world work aliases their summertime break, United person nary urgent request to make a last decision.

Brighton, for example, are viewed arsenic a exemplary nine erstwhile it comes to guardant readying but Roberto De Zerbi announced he was quitting connected 18 May, a week earlier nan FA Cup final, and they person still not named a replacement.

But each eyes are connected Old Trafford and it seems no-one, including Ten Hag, tin beryllium judge what nan eventual result will be.