Manchester United were crowned FA Cup champions after stunning rivals Manchester City 2-1 in the final at Wembley Stadium over the weekend.
No matter what happened at Wembley, Ten Hag was apparently going to be fired following a difficult campaign that even the United boss called “terrible” this week.
But after Ten Hag’s tactical master class destroyed City’s historical bid, United’s leadership may be second-guessing itself.
Hot favourites City was to win the FA Cup and Premier League two years in a row.
But Ten Hag managed to neutralise Pep Guardiola’s team, and goals by Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho in the first half put United on track to win the FA Cup for the first time in eight years.
It was too late to salvage City as Jeremy Doku slipped a goal past Andre Onana’s feeble attempt in the 87th minute.
As Ten Hag raised the Cup in the Royal box to celebrate, he kissed it.
Asked if he was worried about his future, he said: “I don’t know. The only thing I’m doing is preparing my team.
“This is a project for me. When I came in I can say it was a mess. Now we are better. We are not where we want to be.”
Guardiola added: “Congratulations to United. It was a tight game. It can happen. At the end they scored two goals and we couldn’t score more.”
If Ten Hag’s two-year rule ends after a tumultuous season, it would bring back echoes of fellow Dutchman Louis van Gaal’s departure from Old Trafford.
Two days following United’s 2016 FA Cup final victory against Crystal Palace, Van Gaal was sacked.
Ten Hag would hope a more fitting analogy is Alex Ferguson’s 1990 FA Cup final victory over Palace, which launched his incredible run following calls for his dismissal earlier in the season.
Ferguson watched as a game dubbed Ten Hag’s funeral ended in victory for the much-maligned Dutchman.
In the stands with co-owners Joel and Avie Glazer was United shareholder Jim Ratcliffe, who oversees football operations at Old Trafford.
Linked to Thomas Tuchel, Mauricio Pochettino, and Gareth Southgate, among others, Ratcliffe has lot to think about after United finished eighth in the Premier League this season, their lowest final finish since 1990, and lost the Champions League in the group stage.
Ten Hag feels that the issues stemmed from a long injury list and can demonstrate what he can do when his squad is at full strength with the two titles he has won in three cup finals with United.
Despite finishing 31 points behind the champions this season, Ten Hag avenged United’s 2-1 loss to City in the FA Cup final 12 months ago and ended United’s six-year trophy drought by winning the League Cup last year.
United will escape their first season without European competition since 2014–15 by qualifying for the Europa League.
They benefited from a remarkably subdued City performance, as their double bid failed to materialise in their first home loss since losing to Aston Villa in the league 171 days ago.
City made history last weekend by becoming the first side to win the Premier League four times in succession.
But after the celebrations that accompanied their sixth championship in seven years, Guardiola’s men were exhausted.
Content to keep all 11 men behind the ball and sit deep, United suppressed City brilliantly and joyfully accepted their gift-wrapped opener in the thirty-first minute.
Josko Gvardiol ought to have handled Diogo Dalot’s punt forward, but the left-back paused to check for an offside flag.
As Ten Hag clenched his fist in delight, Garnacho had the easy job of tapping into the empty net after Gvardiol headed the ball over City keeper Stefan Ortega, who had hurriedly rushed off his line.
Mainoo penalised more careless City defence just nine minutes later.
Unchecked down the right side, Garnacho found Fernandes, whose excellent first-time pass found the unmarked Mainoo for a clinical close-range finish.
After the break, City made a stronger effort, but even though Doku’s strike escaped Onana’s grasp to provide a thrilling finish, it was insufficient to beat United.
Ten Hag was standing in the sunshine anxiously expecting to celebrate a thrilling victory that might result in an unplanned stay of execution or be his last fling as the last seconds passed.
Photo by EPA/TOLGA AKMEN
