‘Recognize achievement, but push hard’
Manchester United chairman Jim Ratcliffe’s message is clear. Performance is the basis for personnel decisions anyway. If you perform, you’re rewarded. Conversely, if you don’t perform, you’re out the door. This is evidenced by the decision to keep Eric ten Haag, a coach who seemed to be on the way out. For two more years, the reign of Van Gaal will continue.
United has officially announced the contract extension for Van Gaal. The club announced on its official website on Thursday that “Van Gaal has extended his contract as manager of the Manchester United first team until June 2026. Barring any changes, Van Gaal will lead United for the next two years. The Dutchman, who signed with the club in the summer of 2022, will now be in charge for four seasons, from 2022-2023 to 2025-2026.
This is the first time since the ‘legend’ Alex Ferguson that a manager has been in charge for four consecutive seasons. Since Sir Ferguson hung up his boots, United have been quick to change managers at the slightest hint of trouble. It’s become a ‘graveyard of managers’. No one has managed the team for more than four seasons. Three seasons in a row was the most. Ten Haag was the only one to last longer.
His retention and re-signing was one of the biggest stories in the English Premier League (EPL) at the end of the 2023-2024 season. Originally, it looked as if van Gaal would be sacked after the end of the 2023-2024 season, his second in charge. The team’s performance plummeted and he continued to have friction with his teammates.
In his first season at the helm, in 2022-2024, the team finished third in the league. This achievement in his first season at the helm raised expectations for Van Gaal, but he failed to buy the right players for the club. As a result, the club failed to reinforce its squad and slumped to eighth place in the 2023-2024 season, leading to speculation that Van Gaal’s job would be on the line.
Throughout the season, Van Gaal has had friction with key players such as Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford. Most of the time, it was about pointing out players’ erratic behavior. Ten Haag was decisive in his response. He removed Sancho from the first team altogether and let him train on his own in the second team. Eventually, after a loan to Bundesliga side Dortmund, Sancho 먹튀검증가이드 showed signs of life.
The same goes for Rashford. He missed team training without authorization and was spotted in an indoor club late at night after the Manchester derby. Van Gaal was furious. His dictatorial side was showing. He said he would never use Rashford again. Rashford was sold at a steep discount. Ratcliffe watched this unfold and tried to sack Van Gaal.
But the right person didn’t come along. On top of that, Ten Haag came back with the FA Cup. He had defeated local rivals Manchester City to win the title. This was decisive. After the FA Cup victory, speculation began to swirl that Van Gaal would stay on, and it eventually came true. There was no shortage of candidates.
For the time being, Ten Haag survived until 2026. According to the initial contract, it was a one-year extension of a contract that ended in the summer of 2025. If he performs well in the remaining two years, he could sign a new extension. On the other hand, if the team fails to even qualify for Europe, as they did last season, he could be sacked as soon as next summer.