Erik ten Hag has guided Manchester United into another FA Cup final but he remains under huge pressure.
United beat Coventry City on penalties on Sunday after a frankly ridiculous collapse at Wembley Stadium.
Ten Hag’s side took a 3-0 lead and seemed to be coasting through with 20 minutes to play.
United then completely crumbled with Coventry somehow hauling themselves level and almost winning the game in extra time.
A penalty shootout shouldn’t have even been in the equation from United’s position but that’s what it took to reach the final.
United will now face Manchester City in the FA Cup final for the second year in a row.
Reaching a final should be cause for some form of celebration but that is not the overriding emotion right now.
United are so vulnerable, no matter who the opposition is, and that leaves Ten Hag fighting for his life in the Old Trafford dugout.
Ten Hag is currently trying to prove that he is the man for Ineos but Sunday’s performance will not do him any favours.
Thomas Tuchel linked to Manchester United
Ineos have already made changes behind the scenes and Ten Hag isn’t safe, certainly not whilst being 16 points off the Champions League.
Louis van Gaal was axed after winning the FA Cup in 2016 and Ten Hag may yet go the same way as his compatriot.
Ineos surely can’t be convinced by the level of performance on show by United; it’s one thing to have issues against Premier League sides but throwing away a 3-0 lead against a Championship side is unacceptable.
Rumours about a new manager continue to swirl and reports from Germany indicate that Thomas Tuchel is a potential appointment.
It’s suggested that United have been in contact with Tuchel over a potential move to Old Trafford this summer.
Tuchel is leaving Bayern Munich this summer having failed to win the Bundesliga title.
Bayern almost always win the title, so Tuchel’s inability to do so raises questions about his credentials.
Tuchel has Premier League experience and won a Champions League with Chelsea, so maybe Ineos will be tempted into a deal – and he would love to manage at least one United player.
Tuchel loves Bruno Fernandes
During his time as Chelsea boss, Tuchel admitted in 2021 that he wanted to sign Fernandes for Paris Saint-Germain.
Tuchel highlighted that PSG’s sporting director Antero Henrique – a Portuguese talent spotter – knew Fernandes well and tried to lure him to the French capital.
Tuchel admitted that PSG tried to speak to Fernandes about a move to Paris but he chose to join United instead.
The German feels that Fernandes is simply one of the best midfielders on the planet and that his impact at United has been ‘unbelievable’, hailing him as ‘top level’.
“During my first year in Paris, not sure if it was the first transfer period or second or third, I am not sure. It was just when we arrived in the summer,” said Tuchel.
“I got aware of him more in detail because of my sporting director that knew him very well, so we watched more and more games about him and followed him and tried to be in touch with him to make it happen. Obviously he decided and I was never personally in touch with him but we tried and he went another way. Bad for us that we have to play against him.”
“With my first sporting director in Paris, Antero Henrique, he knew (Fernandes) very well and we fought hard to have a connection to him and to bring him to our team. He was a big personality for Sporting and an effective goalscorer and an effective guy to make the other players around more dangerous. The impact he has had since he arrived at Manchester United is indescribable and unbelievable.”
“To come from Portugal, from a competitive team, a big club but not from the strongest league and step in a year to one of the biggest clubs in the Premier League and the strongest league in Europe and to have this kind of impact, I have nothing but the biggest respect for this guy. It is outstanding.”
“He is one of the best midfielders in the world, attacking midfielders, and he has a huge, huge impact and to have this as a single person in football, you must be absolutely top level because this is almost impossible,” he added.
Fernandes is one of few players that can come out of this season with some credit.
Yes, he can frustrate at times with his roaming around the pitch and his demeanour when things aren’t going his way, but he genuinely cares.
That can’t be said of every United player and Fernandes marries his effort with genuine quality in the final third.
Whoever manages United next season – whether it’s Ten Hag, Tuchel or somebody else – they will be building their side around Fernandes.
Tuchel has wanted this chance before and it may finally come his way this summer with Ten Hag under immense pressure right now.