Manchester United: Title won – and yet the disappointment of the season

Football trips Manchester United could unexpectedly lead not to the Europa League, but to the Europa Conference League in 2024/2025. The English record champion faces a downgrade – and a new search for a coach. Despite the FA Cup win, Manchester United remains a hotspot in the Premier League.

No, there is no peace at Old Trafford despite the FA Cup triumph almost a week ago. The question of the dismissal of coach Erik ten Hag (54), whose "exit" seemed decided even before the FA Cup final against city and arch-rival Manchester City (2:1) – corresponding reports were published the day before the final – hangs over the "Red Devils" like a sword of Damocles.
The 2:1 in the FA Cup final was certainly a resounding success for a team that disappointed so often in the past season – and that even neutral observers found frustrating.

United went completely out of the Champions League after the group stage, trailed Manchester City by 31 points, and in the end, it was only their second title since 2017.

8th place in the Premier League was the worst position for the record champion since 1990 (also FA Cup winners then), which also means the worst record since the departure of the venerable coaching veteran Sir Alexander Chapman Ferguson (82).

Since Ferguson left, coaches have more or less taken turns at the "Theater of Dreams." Ten Hag is the 6th United head coach in 11 years.

He held office for 700 days, won 68 of his 114 competitive matches, and achieved an average of 1.92 points per game.

A good record that only Ferguson (2.02 points / 1,490 games) and José Mourinho (144 games, 1.97 points per game) could surpass among the coaches responsible for at least 100 United games.

With the victory over Pep Guardiola's star ensemble, United saved themselves into the European competition.
It is unclear, however, whether they will actually play in the Europa League, which they won under José Mourinho in Stockholm in 2017.

Background: Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, whose handshake with ten Hag after the FA Cup final caused much speculation, is also a shareholder in OGC Nice from Ligue 1. Nice finished fifth in France, and if it comes down to only one of the two teams being allowed to start in Europe according to UEFA, the team from the Cote d'Azur would surely have the better cards.

Football trips Manchester United: Only in the Conference League?

Ratcliffe owns 27.7 percent of Manchester United shares and has been the full owner of OGC Nice since 2019.

"It is also not ruled out that England's record champion will start in the Europa Conference League and Chelsea will move into the Europa League," explained England legend Keir Radnedge in Kicker Sports Magazine (May 30, 2024).

Even if UEFA decided against the great Manchester United (which I personally do not expect): The Conference League is better than its reputation. In 2023, I had the opportunity to cover the final in Prague with West Ham United against AC Fiorentina (2:1) and this year the final match Olympiakos Piraeus against the "Fiorentina" (1:0 a.e.t.) – and the emotions were high in both cases.

West Ham won a European Cup for the first time since 1965, and Piraeus became the first European Cup winner from Greece. This is certainly no consolation for a true United fan...

But Manchester United can use any international title after the bland last few years. In the Champions League, they failed to prove they were a top European team in a group with Bayern Munich, FC Copenhagen, and Galatasaray Istanbul.

"Season not over yet"

Which leaves the question: What will happen to ten Hag?

After the FA Cup success at Wembley, the Dutchman delivered a defiant performance on BBC with Gary Lineker, reminiscent of the defiant TV interviews of outgoing Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel ("Thomas Tuchels" / Christian Streich). "I have told you all year that we can play good football when all players are fit. Even against one of the best teams in the world," said ten Hag, "we had to endure many setbacks."

When football idol Lineker asked if he felt unfairly treated by TV experts during the season, ten Hag replied tersely: "I think, yes."

"The new partner Sir Jim Ratcliffe," said the good Keir Radnedge, "will certainly want to plan with a coach who embodies the future, not the damaged past."

The former Chelseaplayer Pat Nevin: "The season is not over yet, there is still plenty of work to do, Manchester United's new football department wants to think about the future, especially ten Hag's. I don't buy their explanations about ten Hag."

"The team has undermined ten Hag's authority," believes former England international Chris Sutton, "and thus shares part of the blame."