Explained: Why Man Utd are offering Erik ten Hag a contract extension despite club's poor 2023-24 season

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is all set to get a new contract after the club plans to stay with the Dutchman for the upcoming 2024-25 season. After initial talks of getting sacked by the club, it was revealed on Wednesday (June 12) that Ten Hag will stay at the club having met the club owners in France at the start of the month and will get a contract extension. But why is the Dutchman handed a contract extension?We decode the reasons behind the U-turn by the Manchester United board.

No capable replacement

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According to reports Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Manchester United’s minor stakeholder, was initially on a hunt for a new manager having made several changes at the board level including Dan Ashworth as the Sporting Director. However, United could not lure a capable successor to Ten Hag with Thomas Tuchel and Mauricio Pochettino being the only managers with Premier League experience. Tuchel was reported to have rejected the approach while Pochettino did not convince the entire board, leading to his rejection,

Other options included Zinedine Zidane, Graham Potter and Roberto de Zerbi to get the job and they were all available. Zidane’s choice faded away as he was reluctant to take a challenge in England as he is not fluent in English and the board made ita major reason to drop him from the list. Both Potter and De Zerbi were considered by the board, but would they succeed at a big club like United was a big question. Potter had previously failed at Chelsea, which saw them get rejected by the board.

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Winning trophies saved Ten Hag

Since Sir Alex Ferguson left the club it has notwon trophies in back-to-back seasons and that drought was ended by Ten Hag this season. The 45-year-old led United to an FA Cup win against arch-rivals Manchester City in the final in May, having also won the League Cup title in the 2022-23 season. Winning trophies certainly paid dividends despite the club finishing eighth in the Premier League and enduring their worst goal scoring form since the 1988-89 season.

Developing young players

The former Ajax manager has endured a reputation of working with youthand bringing them to the first team. This is exactly what the United gaffer did during his two years at the club which again was a decisive point. Ten Hag might have fallen out with Jadon Sancho where United could lose a big sum, but bringing in young players like Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo has been the highlight of his tenure. They both scored in the FA Cup final against City with the latter already enjoying a stellar season for which he was named the FA Cup Player of the Season.