1
Edwin van der Sar believes there was an inevitability to Erik ten Hag’s dismissal as Manchester United supervisor after INEOS assumed management at Outdated Trafford.
The Petrochemical big was granted full autonomy of the soccer operation at United after Sir Jim Ratcliffe was ratified because the membership’s new co-owner final yr.
The primary main hurdle INEOS confronted was the choice over Ten Hag’s future after a dismal season, which in the end ended with the thrilling 2-1 FA Cup win over Manchester Metropolis.
There’s a sense that the outpouring of positivity amongst the membership’s fanbase after this success could have influenced INEOS’ resolution on the Dutch supervisor, who was granted a one-year contract extension after a complete ‘end-of-season’ assessment which noticed the membership speak to a number of different managers.
However fast-forward 5 months and any residual goodwill from the FA Cup victory had dissipated with United languished in 14th within the Premier League desk with out having gained a recreation within the Europa League.
After a disappointing 2-0 defeat away to West Ham on the finish of October, the membership’s govt department pulled the set off on a choice that had appeared a foregone conclusion on the finish of the final marketing campaign and Ten Hag was let go.
Van der Sar – United’s legendary goalkeeper who shaped the backbone of one of many membership’s biggest ever sides – believes there was an inevitability to this resolution.
The 54-year-old contends INEOS had been all the time more likely to need their very own alternative within the dugout at Outdated Trafford, relatively than an inherited one, as a “new CEO and a brand new technical director got here, who usually need to appoint a supervisor in their very own line.”
Van der Sar contends the chaos which has engulfed United within the post-Sir Alex Ferguson malaise stems from a scarcity of coherency amongst the membership’s hierarchy.
“Every thing stands or falls with a coverage that’s merely supported by everybody,” he instructed Viaplay (as relayed by the Manchester Night Information). “I believe that has not all the time been the case in all these years (since Sir Alex).”
“It was the identical within the early interval at Ajax (for Ten Hag). Erik additionally had a troublesome interval then. He overcame that with the folks round him. I truly anticipated that at United too. Solely as a result of, I believe, there was one other energy vacuum…
“The membership was put up on the market or partially offered, which gave James Ratcliffe 50 per cent of the shares and the sporting half. As well as, a brand new CEO and a brand new technical director got here, who usually need to appoint a supervisor in their very own line.”
“So sure. It was truly virtually written within the stars that it will occur like this.”
Observe us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social
