This morning, Manchester United extended the contract of manager Erik Ten Hag to the year 2026.
This decision comes at a time when much changes at the club are happening such as, the hiring of Dan Ashworth as the new Sporting Director, a post that the club has been trying to fill for sometime now.
Since the take over by Sir Jim Ratcliffe through his INEOS company, Manchester United has experienced changes such as cutting down of workers by 250 from over a thousand the highest in the world.
Resilient Season Amidst Challenges
Erik Ten Hag’s contract extension comes after a rather volatile season which ended with a triumph in the FA Cup over Manchester City, thus not succumbing to consecutive final losses to the same adversary.
Last season, the club was admiring with many injuries that made the players to change their original positions on the field. Nevertheless, the standout performances from teenagers Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo were crucial.
In the 2023/2024 season, Alejandro Garnacho contributed to United’s attack and participated in 50 games where he scored 10 goals and made 5 assists. His reliability and regularity were paramount, a contender for the Puskas award with a goal against Everton that saw him included in Argentina’s Copa America.
Likewise, the young 18 years old Kobbie impressed with skills, dribbling, and confidence. His displays particularly during the match against Liverpool evoked comparisons with the likes of Clarence Seedorf and Moussa Dembele as he ended the season scoring 5 goals while operating in various midfield positions.
He began to get shouts to be included in the England national team and even start alongside Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham in midfield.
Key to Erik Ten Hag’s Success
According to a detailed study from Sportsbuddy.ng, youngsters provided valuable support and played an essential part in the FA Cup match that helped shape Ten Hag’s contract extension.
The new Sporting Director, Dan Ashworth, noted that this victory was crucial in the contract extension of the Dutchman, He said “Ten Hag With two trophies in the past two seasons, Erik has continued to back up his reputation as one of the most successful coaches in the history of European football” Ashworth said.
He stressed that it was high time for Ten Hag to take up the mantle of raising the bar and realizing the collective goals of the club.
“This group of players and staff have already demonstrated that they can go out and compete and win at the highest level we now need to do so on a more regular basis With our new reinforced football leadership team now in place we are looking forward to working in partnership with Erik in order to achieve the goals that have been set for this football club.
The decision to extend Ten Hag’s tenure is an indication that the contributions made by these teenagers help Manchester United to remain relevant and competitive.
These performances not only resurrected the careers of both the player and manager Ten Hag but also kept the club’s quest for more silverware alive.
