‘Felt like the end’ - Paul Scholes’ verdict as Man Utd stick with Erik ten Hag

Paul Scholes has said he is pleased the uncertainty around Erik ten Hag’s future has come to an end and feels Manchester United could benefit from the ‘continuity’ of sticking with the manager.

Seventeen days on from the FA Cup final win over Manchester City and on Tuesday night confirmation finally emerged that Ten Hag will not be sacked, that’s despite the club sounding out several possible replacements.

Ultimately, the decision to stick with the Dutchman was due to several factors, including the trophies won in two seasons, the league high-number of injuries this season, the sense that Ten Hag deserves a chance to work in a functioning sporting structure and a belief that he is building a team for the future.

That’s despite a woeful Premier League campaign that saw the club finish eight and with a negative goal difference. There were also repeated questions about Ten Hag’s tactical approach, which resulted in repeated abysmal displays.

The worst of United’s 19 losses in 2023/24 was the 4-0 drubbing at Crystal Palace in early May, a defeat that Scholes described at the time as the ‘final nail in the coffin’ for Ten Hag’s position.

But in a post on Instagram following Tuesday’s update, Scholes said: “Nice to wake up to this news although I did think Palace away [a 4-0 defeat] felt like the end.

“Major improvements needed but at least we have a bit of continuity and don't have to wait for a new regime to settle in... fans have given him and the players incredible support and deserve better next season.”