The Manchester United that Mike Phelan knows has spent the last decade slumbering, but are Ineos about to shake the sleeping giants awake again?
Only time will tell, of course. As far as ‘false dawns’ go, the Red Devils have seen more than most, Erik ten Hag‘s excellent debut season in the Old Trafford hotseat proceeding a pretty dreadful second one.
Whether Ineos get things right, whether they can put Manchester United back on the right track again, remains to be seen.
At least, hiring proven, top-level footballing operators in Jean-Claude Blanc, Jason Wilcox and the soon-to-be-arriving Dan Ashworth, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Sir Dave Brailsford appear to have learned from the failures of the despised Glazer regime, prioritising sporting success above lining their own pockets.
Erik ten Hag’s future uncertain at Manchester United
Ratcliffe and co have not been afraid to make big – and sometimes unpopular – decisions since seizing control in February either. The likes of Richard Arnold and John Murtough have gone already, and Ten Hag could yet follow despite Saturday’s glorious FA Cup final victory over rivals Man City at Wembley.
Does Mike Phelan, a three-time Premier League winner as assistant coach to the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson, believe the often-under-fire Dutchman can use that FA Cup success as a springboard to bring happier times back to Old Trafford?
He told talkSPORT (30 May, 11am): “Past regimes I would have said he would have been gone. Yes the ownership is still there but I think this new regime is looking for continuity. I think that’s a different attitude, whether that gives Ten Hag the opportunity to go again, I’m not sure.”
Pressed by Simon Jordan whether Ten Hag has done enough to merit being given another chance, he responded: “No I don’t.
“That is just the way I see it. We are talking about Manchester United here. It’s a big decision. An important decision.
“(Ten Hag) has been forthright and honest. He obviously sees things internally, he’s got a group of players where he is going to get some out and get some in. He’s confident he is going to take it to another level and that’s great.”
Referring to United’s trophy success, Phelan commented that he was surprised, and felt it was evidence the manager should have changed his tactics a long time ago.
Phelan said: “He won the FA Cup out of the blue I think nobody expecting it, playing in a style he should have thought about a little bit earlier in the season.
“This season you can’t say anything other than it’s been very disappointing. Not just the performances look at the stats, the stats tell you everything, goals conceded, goals scored even, it’s been unusual.”
Phelan is not buying injuries as an excuse, adding: “Lots of examples of players being unavailable but it’s Manchester United at the end of the day, you get on with it, you set your stall out, and I think that’s come up a bit short.”
Manager options running dry for Red Devils
It appears that not everyone at Ineos share Ten Hag’s confidence. An end-of-season review is taking place this week.
And while some have suggested that the radio silence over Ten Hag’s future points towards an extended stay – suggestions that he would be sacked as soon as the final whistle went at Wembley like Louis van Gaal in 2016 were wide of the mark – Phelan wonders if the slow pace of developments is maybe because of a lack of obvious replacements on the market.
“It has taken a lot longer than to release Louis van Gaal after the cup final,” Phelan muses. “Who do (Ineos) they want? Are they available?
“Sometimes, it’s easier to get people out than to get people in.
“You need a manager, will full backing.”
In the last few days, Kieran McKenna appears to have settled on staying at Ipswich Town, Hansi Flick has been unveiled at Barcelona and Thiago Motta – another reportedly under consideration by Manchester United – is on his way to Juventus.