There are, Erik ten Hag will hope, exactly two months of the English season to go. The FA Cup final will bring the curtain down on the domestic action on May 25 and for the second successive season,
Manchester United will hope to be there. It could yet be another Manchester derby final at Wembley and by then we might also have a clearer indication of whether Ten Hag will remain in charge at Old Trafford into next season. At the moment, his future is perhaps the biggest unknown at the club. A thrilling FA Cup quarter-final win against
Liverpool last weekend has given the season an injection of optimism and United could yet qualify for the
Champions League and win a trophy, but it does feel like Ten Hag is on trial for the next couple of months. ALSO READ: Ineos changes could give Ten Hag a decision to make over his future ALSO READ: Who Ratcliffe will task with deciding possible managerial change Ineos are overhauling the
Football structure at United since Sir Jim Ratcliffe's minority investment into the club was confirmed and that includes a focus on the manager's position. So with the clock ticking on this season, what do we know about Ten Hag's future? Here is the latest. Has a decision been made? No. Sir Jim Ratcliffe hasn't come out and publicly backed Ten Hag in his media comments so far, but there is no sense a decision has been made. Ten Hag still has time to prove himself. The season could yet be a success if he salvages Champions League football and wins the FA Cup and it remains too early to judge the Dutchman, who has mitigating factors this season when you consider United's injury record. But there are concerns around the tactics this season and Ten Hag's transfer record. He needs a strong finish to the campaign to be absolutely certain of getting Ineos' backing. Who will make the decision? As the MEN reported on Monday, it is incoming chief executive Omar Berrada who is set to be at the centre of any potential change in the dugout this summer. Berrada is due to take over officially in the summer and currently remains on gardening leave having left a role at
Manchester City , but it is understood he will have a major say both on Ten Hag's future and any potential replacement. While Ratcliffe is likely to offer his thoughts on the matter, he is keen to delegate to those with football expertise and Berrada is at the top of the organisational structure, with new sporting director Dan Ashworth reporting into him. How can Ten Hag save his job? There is no criteria that has been laid out to save Ten Hag but there hasn't been any dissent from the stands and he was cheered after masterminding the FA Cup win against Liverpool. With a lack of obvious candidates to replace him, the 53-year-old will certainly feel he has done enough to stay on as manager if he can get United back into the Champions League and win the FA Cup. The former looks achievable after Aston Villa and
Tottenham dropped points last weekend and it looks increasingly likely fifth place will be enough to qualify for the Champions League. In the FA Cup, if United end up facing Manchester City once again in the final then there will be pressure on to finally stop Pep Guardiola's trophy machine. Could he quit anyway? Unlikely, but not impossible. Ten Hag has been insistent this year that he must have "control" over transfers and he has had plenty of power since taking over at United in the summer of 2022. The transfer strategy over the three windows he has been in charge for has his fingerprints all over, for better or worse. For every success of Lisandro Martinez or Andre Onana, there are question marks around players such as Sofyan Amrabat and Antony. Ineos are bringing in a new football structure and that is likely to see Ten Hag's power diluted at least a little. Those close to him in Holland insist it isn't beyond the realms of possibility that he decides he can't work in that kind of structure and walks away. Who is in line to replace him? There is no stand-out candidate and that is a major bonus for Ten Hag. When he got the
Job almost two years ago it felt like a simple decision between Ten Hag and Mauricio Pochettino, with both having reasonable claims for the job. Now, there is no leading candidate. Gareth Southgate is liked by Ineos, but the current
England manager is focused on Euro 2024 and unlikely to even consider an approach until the tournament is over, while the negative reaction from supporters to his name being in the frame could be telling. Graham Potter is a coach who is available and has links with Ashworth, while his spell at
Chelsea looks better in hindsight. Roberto De Zerbi will also be considered having signalled his unhappiness at Brighton recently. Thomas Tuchel is the most high-profile coach available, but his record of falling out with his bosses is unlikely to appeal to Ineos. Ruben Amorim is highly rated for his work at Sporting and could be in the frame.