- The owners of Manchester United have recently considered sacking manager Erik ten Hag
- But the club decided to keep the Dutchman after an interview with Thomas Tuchel
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Erik ten Hag joked that Manchester United ‘interrupted’ his holiday by telling him he would keep his job this summer.
The Dutchman also revealed that he is aware the club was in talks with alternative candidates, including former Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel.
Ten Hag’s role as manager appeared to be under significant threat as the club’s ownership group, led by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, carried out a thorough review after United finished eighth in the Premier League last season – their lowest finishing position since 1990.
According to Ten Hag, the result of that evaluation was that United ‘already have the best manager’.
Ten Hag was on holiday on the Spanish island of Ibiza when he heard that he would stay at Old Trafford. He then flew to mainland Europe to watch Euro 2024 in Germany and was interviewed by the Dutch TV channel NOS during the weekend.
Erik ten Hag has spoken to NOS about keeping his job at Manchester United
Ten Hag (middle) discovered that he kept his job during his holiday in Ibiza
In a conversation with NOS, Ten Hag revealed: ‘The club management came to me while I was on holiday in Ibiza. They suddenly showed up on my doorstep and said they wanted to continue with me.’
Reflecting on the 2023/24 season, which ended with United beating Manchester City in the FA Cup final, Ten Hag added: ‘It was a turbulent season. Never a boring moment.’
Speaking about the Ratcliffe-led review, he said: “As in any organisation, it is sensible to evaluate. Manchester United did that too.
‘The new owner is new to football, he has taken his time.
“They spoke to Thomas Tuchel but came to the conclusion that they already have the best manager.”
Ten Hag’s future at Old Trafford had been the subject of a review led by Sir Jim Ratcliffe (right)
United spoke to other managers, including former Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel
Ten Hag’s United finished eighth in the Premier League last season, but won the FA Cup
Ten Hag has been in charge at Old Trafford since May 2022, when he came over from Ajax.
He has 66 wins, 31 defeats and 17 draws in 114 matches to his name so far, giving him a winning percentage of 57.89 percent.
That is higher than Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s record of 54.17 percent, but lower than that of Jose Mourinho, who won 58.33 percent of his 144 games as United boss.
United will return for pre-season training in the first two weeks of July before heading on tour to the United States, where they will take on Arsenal in Los Angeles on July 27.
Ten Hag would like to strengthen his selection before then. Several areas require reinforcements, especially central defense and defensive midfield.