Ten Hag makes Man United’s FA Cup victory feel like a defeat

LONDON — Manchester United are into the FA Cup ultimate, however the method with which they scraped previous Coventry Metropolis will do nothing for Erik ten Hag’s prospects of remaining as supervisor.

If something, the supporters who streamed out of Wembley and again to Manchester after watching their staff win a penalty shootout on the finish of a dramatic day will probably be extra satisfied than ever that the Dutchman is not the correct man for the job. United have been cruising at 3-0 earlier than permitting Coventry to attain thrice within the ultimate 20 minutes, together with a Ninety fifth-minute equaliser, sending the sport to penalties tied 3-3.

The Championship aspect have been the higher staff in additional time and thought that they had accomplished one of many best FA Cup comebacks ever when Victor Torp discovered the online with the ultimate kick solely to have their celebrations minimize quick by VAR and the tightest of offside calls. Ultimately it was extra Wembley penalty heartbreak for Coventry, who misplaced in a shootout to Luton City in final season’s Championship playoff ultimate.

– Stream the replay on ESPN+: Man United vs. Coventry Metropolis (U.S. solely)

United, in the meantime, go on to the ultimate in opposition to Manchester Metropolis, a repeat of final season’s showpiece. Ten Hag is more likely to be on the touchline subsequent to Pep Guardiola on Might 25, however there may be ever-increasing doubt that he’ll nonetheless be at Previous Trafford subsequent season.

“Combined emotions, it’s clear,” Ten Hag stated when requested to sum up the day. “It is an achievement to be twice within the FA Cup ultimate in two years. Within the final 20 years, United have been 5 occasions within the ultimate however we at the moment are two occasions in two years. It is an enormous achievement.

“If you find yourself so in management, dominating the sport, 3-0 up, we must always win it. The way in which we did not was not good. From the 70 minutes to the tip we made errors.”

What, then, will Sir Jim Ratcliffe be pondering? The 71-year-old United co-owner was within the stands after finishing the London marathon hours earlier, however watching Ten Hag’s staff within the second half supplied his most gruelling trial of the day.

The sport was seemingly finished and dusted within the 58th minute when Bruno Fernandes scored United’s third, just for the Crimson Devils to then inexplicably determine to remind everybody simply how flimsy they’re.

For a lot of the afternoon, Coventry performed like a staff simply glad to be on a break from the Championship, the place they’ve misplaced three of their previous 4 video games. However as soon as Ellis Simms pulled a aim again within the 71st minute, United started to creak and crack, and Coventry took benefit.

Callum O’Hare bought the second eight minutes later by way of a heavy deflection earlier than referee Robert Jones induced bedlam within the sea of sky blue behind the aim by pointing to the penalty spot having noticed a debatable handball from Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

VAR confirmed it, Haji Wright tucked it away and for the primary time since Sir Alex Ferguson’s ultimate recreation in cost in 2013, United had thrown away a three-goal lead.

With United now apparently decided to grab defeat from the jaws of victory, Wright flashed a great probability extensive in additional time and Simms hit the underside of the crossbar.

Solely the VAR traces saved United from shedding to Torp’s aim within the 121st minute — “I feel it was a toenail offside” Coventry boss Mark Robins stated afterwards — however Ten Hag nonetheless needed to thank O’Hare and Ben Sheaf for lacking penalties within the shootout. They’ve most likely stored him in a job for an additional month.

It stated every little thing that when Rasmus Højlund scored with the decisive kick to ebook a second successive FA Cup ultimate, the celebrations have been muted. If it is doable to be undeserving of victory having led 3-0, then United discovered a option to obtain it.

“We are able to play at very excessive ranges, however in the identical match we are able to go to very low ranges and that is not explainable,” Ten Hag stated. “On a number of events we let one another down. At this time we bought away with it. With all of the accidents, we do not have so many instruments. We do not also have a again 4 of their greatest positions.

“On that half I’ve to provide the staff a praise, the gamers managed that, they have been ready that’s not of their greatest. They gave 100%, and it isn’t all the time straightforward to play the most effective soccer once you’re not in your greatest place.”

Ten Hag has been eager to level to the lengthy harm listing as the important thing motive behind the staff’s depressing marketing campaign, however though he confronted Coventry with out 10 senior gamers and Casemiro as an auxiliary centre-back, it did not clarify the collapse.

Once more he substituted Alejandro Garnacho within the second half and ceded a component of management. Previously month, the Argentine has been changed with United main Chelsea 4-3, main Liverpool 2-1 and main Coventry 3-0, and every time they’ve fallen away.

Garnacho was nonetheless operating when he got here off within the 66th minute, and it was noteworthy that Robins stated United started to look “leggy” across the identical time.

United’s new possession staff insists no choice has been made on Ten Hag’s future, but when he loses his job in the summertime, it is going to be due to days like this.

He stated afterward it was “loopy” to assume that victory in an FA Cup semifinal might need weakened his place as supervisor, however that was the overriding feeling when Højlund’s ultimate penalty nestled within the internet.

Nonetheless in cost, no apparent successor and an FA Cup ultimate in opposition to Metropolis to return, there’s nonetheless time for him to show he ought to keep, however struggling previous Coventry solely supplied extra compelling arguments that he ought to go.