At Old Trafford, the manager of Manchester United, Erik ten Hag, is about to embark on what may very well be the most significant week of his tenure as chief executive officer.
Following his departure from the Manchester United squad van at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, Erik ten Hag will not require the assistance of a Wembley official in order to reach the area designated for the dressing room.
Since taking over as manager of United two years ago, the Dutchman will be making his fourth trip to the national stadium for the FA Cup semi-final match against Coventry City, which will take place this coming weekend.
His first visit was for the final of the Carabao Cup from the previous season, and his two most recent visits were for the semi-final and final of the FA Cup from the previous season.
Under the renowned arch, Ten Hag led Manchester United to their first trophy since 2017, winning 2-0 against Newcastle. This victory was United’s first trophy since 2017.
He had a dream of going to the Royal Balcony for the second time, which would be in June, when the team would be competing against Manchester City in the second domestic cup final of the season.
United, of course, was defeated by a score of 2-1 on that particular day, which meant that Ten Hag’s first season at Old Trafford came to a close with one title and a top four position, thereby ensuring that they qualified for the Champions League.
However, despite the fact that these accomplishments could not be compared to the successes that United had in the past, they were nonetheless steps in the right direction.
On the other hand, United is aware that they need to win their match against Coventry on Sunday in order to keep their season chances alive.
They were eliminated from the Carabao Cup early on, and their participation in Europe was terminated before youngsters had finished scoffing the contents of their advent calendars.
As a result, their chances of qualifying for the Champions League for the following season are virtually nonexistent.
There is only one chance for United to salvage something from what has been a disappointing season, and that is by winning the FA Cup.
Additionally, it is possible that this is the only way that Ten Hag has a chance of retaining his job.
Although there is little doubt that United will be the favorites to win their FA Cup match against Coventry on Sunday, which will be the first time the two teams have competed against each other since 1987, team confidence is not expected to be high.
them has been four matches since United booked a date with the team coached by Mark Robins, and they have not won a single one of them. They have drawn three of them and lost them.
Following their match against Bournemouth on Saturday, which ended in a 2-2 draw, and Aston Villa’s victory against Arsenal by a score of 2-0 twenty-four hours later, they are currently thirteen points behind the top four in the Premier League with only six games remaining.
United still needs to finish the season as strongly as possible, not least because they need to make sure that they qualify for the Europa League, which is the second highest European prize that is available.
Despite the fact that this means that their chances of qualifying for the Champions League are virtually gone, United still needs to finish the season as strongly as possible.
When it comes to the competition for European qualifying, West Ham and Chelsea are right on their heels, and the competition is becoming increasingly severe.
After United’s journey to Wembley on Sunday, they will play back-to-back league matches at home against Sheffield United and Burnley, both of whom are very certainly going to be demoted in the coming weeks.
United should not be aiming for anything else than six points and two polished performances because they have only won three away league games throughout the entire season.
However, as they have proved on numerous occasions throughout this season, United have been unsuccessful when they have been going up against one of the Premier League’s less formidable clubs on their home turf.
They have suffered defeats to the likes of Fulham (2-1) and Crystal Palace (1-0). At Old Trafford, they were only able to defeat Luton Town by a single goal, but it was enough to advance them.
In light of the fact that Ten Hag is under increasing amounts of pressure following a string of four games in which he has failed to win and a league record of just one win in seven matches, the results of United’s next three matches could end up being the deciding factor in Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s decision about the Dutchman’s future.
He has brought about significant shifts in the organization’s hierarchy, and the position of manager is not exempt from modification as a result of his actions.
Ten Hag will be put through three difficult tests in the span of seven days, as he will be competing against Coventry, Sheffield United, and Burnley.
Each of these matches is a must-win, thus it will be a test of his abilities.
Regardless of the outcomes, United cannot afford to let anything slide through their fingers, nor can they afford to produce three performances that are lacking in quality.
Although those seven days won’t be enough to create Ten Hag, they could very well be enough to break him. He is currently in the midst of the most significant week of his term.
