Will Erik ten Hag get Manchester United back on track in 2024/25?

Erik ten Hag is set to start another season at Manchester United. The Dutchman hopes to give the Red Devils their first Premier League title since the 2012/13 season.

Not so long ago, Ten Hag confirmed his new contract with the embattled Manchester United, signing on until 2026.

"I am very pleased to have reached [an] agreement with the club to continue working together," the 54-year-old said, as reported by the BBC.

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"Looking back at the past two years, we can reflect with pride on two trophies and many examples of progression from where we were when I joined."

"We must also be clear that there is still lots of hard work ahead," the coach stressed, reflecting on the current state of the club.

Erik ten Hag and Manchester United have endured one of the most turbulent off seasons in Premier League history so far, and with a full coaching and player roster overhaul in the works, it’s really just the tip of the iceberg.

Speculation has been rife around the Dutch coach since the conclusion of the season – which saw the super club finish in 8th place on the table, their worst result since 1990 – and by all accounts ten Hag was on his way out the door.

Since May 2024, operations head Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the United board have been conducting a review of the entire organisation, which included, as reported by The Guardian, advertising Ten Hag’s position to rival coaches in Europe, including Bayern Munich’s Thomas Tuchel (pictured), as reported by the BBC.

So clear it was that Ten Hag would be leaving United this year, that the Dutch coach was even asked about it in following his side’s FA Cup win over Manchester City in May, saying: "If they don't want me any more, I go somewhere else and win trophies, that's what I've done my whole career," as reported by the Mirror.

After more than a month of the football rumor mill working overtime on the unfolding drama – all the while ten Hag was trying to enjoy a holiday in Ibiza – United have backed their incumbent coach to go the distance for two more seasons, effectively adding an additional year onto his contract, which was due to expire in 2025.

In fact, so desperate were the club to keep the coach, who arrived from Ajax in 2022, they visited him on his holiday. "The club management came to me while I was on holiday in Ibiza," ten Hag said on Dutch TV channel NOS. "They suddenly showed up on my doorstep and told me they wanted to continue with me."

While ten Hag is safe for the coming years, it seems like the comb is about to run through the rest of the Red Devils.

According to the Mirror, all of ten Hag’s coaching staff at United are under review, and with just 57 goals from 38 games – the joint-lowest return in the top half of the table – forwards coach Benni McCarthy (pictured) already packed his bags. 

He made way for former United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, who scored 150 goals between 2001 and 2006, and will be Ten Hag's assistant manager.

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The next issue is United’s transfer budget, reportedly set at just £35 million (€41.3m, $44.3m), according to Goal, which leaves ten Hag little to play with in a highly competitive environment.

United are hoping to boost that figure with the sales of Jadon Sancho and Casemiro, who has attracted interest from the Saudi Pro League.

On top of this, the club has abandoned the usual tactic of signing big name players, either at or past the peak of their powers, and are looking to fill their side with development potential, per Manchester Evening News.

One such proposed signing is Manuel Ugarte. The 23-year-old midfielder joined Paris Saint-Germain last summer and has ranked in the 99th percentile of tackles per 90 minutes in Ligue 1 last year. 

United have been desperate to sign the Uruguayan over the summer, and while a deal is yet to be done, it represents a change in mindset for the struggling giant.

Other touted signings include Bayern Munich defender Matthijs de Ligt and in-demand Napoli striker ​​Victor Osimhen, though whether they will have the cash for the latter remains to be seen.

How do you feel about United’s off-season so far? Are the Premier League giants about to turn it around, or is this simply too much drama to come back from? 

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