Gary Neville is pleased that the Manchester United board came to the decision of sticking with Erik ten Hag.
However, he doesn’t think they were wrong to question his suitability.
Neville weighed in on the situation today when speaking with Sky Sports and gave his analysis, like an analysis by the experts of NZCasinoClub: “I do believe that because Erik ten Hag had such a disappointing season in the Premier League, the club were well within their rights to see what was out there in the market.
“As we all know, the manager market has been quite difficult for a number of top clubs in Europe. I’m happy because they’ve continued and maintained that stability into next season.”
“I think they’ve come to the right conclusion in the end but I also think they were within their rights to review at the end of the season and look at other options,” the former skipper concluded.
Reports suggest that Neville will be playing an integral role in the redevelopment of Old Trafford under INEOS, with a brand-new stadium currently Ratcliffe’s preferred route.
It was announced last week through numerous outlets – initially confirmed by David Ornstein – that the Dutchman would be staying in the dugout long-term at Old Trafford. After opting to continue with Ten Hag, talks then got underway regarding a new contract.
Prior to the conclusion of INEOS’ end-of-season assessment, they had met with three options: Mauricio Pochettino, Thomas Tuchel, and, surprisingly, Marco Silva, the latter of which came prior to the FA Cup final.
Silva got the better of Ten Hag last season when Fulham overturned United 2-1 on their own turf in February, claiming a first win in M16 in 21 years after 16 attempts.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Co. ultimately opted against the Cottagers boss, and talks with Tuchel didn’t quite go to plan either. Certain aspects of his philosophy and little details – like his preference to reintegrate the outcast Jadon Sancho over selling him – went against him.
It’s thought that last month’s FA Cup final triumph swayed certain key figures’ minds from sacking Ten Hag to giving him more time, having picked up a second piece of silverware in the second year of his tenure.
There’s also no doubt that the lack of standout targets available played a factor in Ratcliffe’s judgment, and it remains to be seen if such faith will be repaid when the Reds kick off their 2024/2025 campaign.
