Five players that are not happy about Eric Ten Hag is staying

Five players that are not happy about Eric Ten Hag is staying

 

Man United manager Erik ten Hag will stay in his position as Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS conclude their end-of-season review into his position
Erik ten Hag gives instructions to Jadon Sancho during a Manchester United training session
Jadon Sancho departed Man United on loan under Erik ten Hag’s watch
The news that Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag will remain in charge at Old Trafford has come as a massive U-turn after Ineos power brokers looked all set to sack him.

 

Before the FA Cup final, all signs pointed toward the Dutchman being relieved of his duties at United after a disappointing eighth-place finish in the Premier League. However, victory over Manchester City at Wembley Stadium and the subsequent outpouring of approval for Ten Hag looks like it was enough to move the dial in favour of the incumbent.

Ipswich Town’s Kieran McKenna was the forerunner to replace Ten Hag but he signed a new deal at Portman Road. Gareth Southgate, Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter were all mentioned as possible replacements but the 54-year-old has now been given another season to turn around United’s fortunes.

While this is likely to be welcomed by most of the squad considering how well-received he was toward the end of last season, there are five players who may not be overjoyed to see their manager stay. This may not be because their personal relationship is fractured but rather because their playing time could be affected due to him staying.

One man who is likely to fit in the former camp is Jadon Sancho. The Englishman’s relationship with Ten Hag looks to be beyond repair at this point as witnessed by his exile from the squad from September onwards.

While Ten Hag is manager, there seems to be no future for Sancho at Old Trafford which may come as a relief considering how well his loan move went at Borussia Dortmund. Should he leave the club, many would hope that Amad is given more of a chance in the starting line-up.

Towards the end of last season, the Ivorian was given more of an opportunity in the first-team but Ten Hag still seems to prefer Antony for whatever reason. If he was to stay, Amad may not be as regular in the matchday squad as he would hope to be leading perhaps towards another push for the exit door come January.

Facundo Pellistri is another young winger who seems destined to exit under Ten Hag. It has not just been the Dutchman who has not seen enough from the Uruguayan to warrant a place in the team but it seems to be the current boss who is likely to green-light his exit.

Last winter, Altay Bayindir must have been scratching his head as he wondered how Andre Onana was managing to keep his place in the squad. At times, the Cameroonian had become a liability and even he admitted he was worried about his place in the starting XI as he delayed his trip to the Africa Cup of Nations.

But Ten Hag stuck by his first-choice and he managed to get out the other end of his rough patch. It leads you now to question whether the Turkish player will ever get a chance to be a regular for United and considering he was not even utilised much in cup competitions, the 26-year-old is bound to be questioning if moving to Old Trafford was the right move.

Finally, Ten Hag’s extended stay at United would prove disastrous for Christian Eriksen. The Dane has fallen out of favour thanks to the emergence of Kobbie Mainoo and now it seems unlikely under Ten Hag he will win his place back.

Eriksen expressed his frustration at his lack of minutes during the season and will be considering his options as his career starts to draw to a close. Perhaps a move back to Thomas Frank’s Brentford could be on the cards.