Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is celebrating signing a contract extension at the club.
Official confirmation broke this week regarding an announcement we had been expecting, Erik ten Hag’s contract extension.
There was no way Manchester United would enter this coming season with just one year left on Ten Hag’s deal. That just wasn’t practical, and would leave the Dutchman vulnerable.
Yet, the one-year extension triggered on Ten Hag’s deal was not exactly a huge show of commitment long-term either. Ineos are waiting before going ‘all in’ on the manager.
Erik ten Hag has it all to prove, Ineos are waiting long-term
There is not a lot to be said for managerial contracts. David Moyes signed a six-year deal in 2013 when he replaced Sir Alex Ferguson, and did not even last one full year.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer signed a three-year extension in summer 2021 and was sacked later that same year.
So we commend Ineos for playing it straight, and not insulting everybody’s intelligence by handing Ten Hag a long contract.
This would have been disingenuous after they deliberated hard over his future and interviewed alternative managers.
The short extension has a practical element too. It saves cost on compensation if Ten Hag is fired.
It is clear from the minimal extension handed to Ten Hag that he has everything to prove, and by the same token, the Dutchman will also be assessing whether he can work under the new structure.
Dan Ashworth lays down challenge to Erik ten Hag
New sporting director Dan Ashworth made his first statement since his own move to the club was confirmed.
And he made very clear that Ten Hag must play his part in raising performance levels.
He said: “While the club’s review of last season highlighted areas for improvement, it also reached a clear conclusion that Erik was the best partner for us to work with in driving up standards and outcomes.
“This group of players and staff have already shown they are capable of competing and winning at the top level. Now, we need to do it more consistently.”
This was a carefully worded statement, making clear that while Erik ten Hag is considered the right man in the ‘here and now’, there needs to be progress – a vast improvement on the performances which led to an eighth placed Premier League finish last season.
Next summer, Ineos will be back in the same position. Ten Hag will have one year left on his contract, once again.
At that point, they will have three options. Move on, tentatively agree another one-year deal, or express a real show of faith by handing Ten Hag a multi-year deal.
Right now, they aren’t convinced enough to go for the latter.
This short-term option buys Ineos time, and buys Erik ten Hag more time at Old Trafford. The next 12 months will be almost akin to another trial period for the Dutchman.
That is high pressure, yet sometimes pressure can bring out the best at Manchester United. We will see if Ten Hag is able to succeed in this latest challenge.
While no new signings have yet been agreed, Ineos are doing everything possible to try and help Ten Hag, hiring two new coaches, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Rene Hake, and finally setting up a professional, modern structure behind the scenes.
Providing the new signings are completed, Ten Hag can have no complaints he was set up to fail. Instead, Ineos are trying to give him every opportunity to succeed and earn a long-term show of faith.