As the 2023/24 Premier League season drew to a close, Manchester United fans were left scratching their heads. The club, once a symbol of dominance, finished eighth in the table, their lowest league position in decades, and crashed out of Europe at the Champions League group stage. Yet, amid all the frustration and uncertainty, there’s still one game left: an FA Cup final against Manchester City.

Before that trip to Wembley, the big question around Old Trafford was simple: should United stick with Erik ten Hag, or make another managerial change this summer?

The Case for Sticking with Ten Hag

1. A Proven Track Record in His First Season

When Ten Hag arrived from Ajax in 2022, he made an instant impact. He brought structure, discipline, and tangible success, winning the Carabao Cup, finishing third in the Premier League, and returning United to the Champions League. He steadied a club that had been through years of drift.

That debut campaign showed Ten Hag can manage the pressure and produce results. He clearly has managerial quality; the question is whether the club around him can match it.

2. Context Is Everything

This season has been riddled with context, injuries, inconsistency, and instability. The spine of United’s team was never truly settled. Key players such as Lisandro Martínez, Luke Shaw, and Rasmus Højlund all missed significant stretches. Even with those challenges, Ten Hag kept the dressing room together and managed to guide the team to another Wembley final.

It’s hard to build momentum when you’re constantly patching up your back line and changing your midfield week to week. That context matters when judging a manager’s performance.

3. Continuity Over Chaos

Since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, United have been through Moyes, van Gaal, Mourinho, Solskjær, Rangnick, and now Ten Hag. That’s six managers in just over a decade. Every change has come with a new philosophy, new signings, and a new “project,” only for it to unravel again within two years.

At some point, United need to stop pressing the reset button. Ten Hag has shown he can win. With a proper recruitment structure and a clear sporting vision, something the new INEOS ownership is promising, there’s an argument that he deserves more time to make his system work.

The Case for Moving On

1. The Results Don’t Lie

Finishing eighth in the Premier League isn’t good enough for Manchester United. The numbers tell a worrying story: 18 wins, 6 draws, 14 defeats, 57 goals scored, and 58 conceded, a negative goal difference. United lost more league games than they won away from home and never looked like serious top-four contenders.

In Europe, it was worse. Finishing bottom of their Champions League group, behind Bayern Munich, Copenhagen, and Galatasaray, was embarrassing for a club of United’s stature.

When the regression is this stark, questions about the manager are inevitable.

2. Identity Crisis

One of the biggest frustrations for fans this season has been the lack of a clear playing identity. United have been erratic, moments of high-energy pressing and counter-attacking brilliance mixed with long spells of disorganisation and defensive chaos.

After two years in charge, supporters and analysts alike are still asking: what exactly is Ten Hag’s Manchester United meant to look like?

3. The Timing Question

If the club believes Ten Hag isn’t the long-term answer, then the summer is the time to act. Waiting until autumn, when the season has already started, risks another year of drift. With INEOS now leading football operations and a director of football structure being built, this may be the cleanest moment to start afresh.

What the Decision Really Comes Down To

If you strip away emotion, this isn’t just about one man, it’s about what Manchester United want to be.

• If they believe in long-term structure and continuity, then backing Ten Hag through another season (with proper support and smarter recruitment) makes sense.
• If they crave immediate success, or if the hierarchy privately doubts Ten Hag’s tactical adaptability, then a new coach this summer is the cleaner option.

But here’s the key point: whoever sits in that dugout, United won’t move forward until the club’s football structure, scouting, data, and recruitment, is fixed. The revolving door of managers has been a symptom, not the root cause.

A Balanced Recommendation

The pragmatic route would be to back Ten Hag for one more season, but only with conditions. Give him a clear brief, the right signings, and the backing of the INEOS-led structure. At the same time, set firm expectations: visible progress in the league, a coherent playing style, and European competitiveness.

If, by next spring, those boxes aren’t ticked, United can then make a change with justification, not just emotion.

Because for all the talk of philosophies and projects, Manchester United’s biggest problem in the post-Ferguson era hasn’t been hiring the wrong managers; it’s been failing to stick with one long enough to let a vision take root.

Ten Hag’s Manchester United have been far from perfect, but they’re not beyond saving. If the club is serious about building something sustainable, continuity under a supported, accountable Ten Hag might be the smarter play. But if Wembley ends in disappointment and the football department believes a change is needed, it must be done decisively, not reactively.

This summer will reveal whether Manchester United have finally learned from the past decade, or whether the cycle of short-term fixes continues once again.