So, it turns out Erik ten Hag can motivate and lead his Manchester United team to victory against a formidable opponent.
Man United’s 4-3 win in the FA Cup quarterfinal against Liverpool on Sunday answered so many questions about the manager’s ability to make it count when it matters on a day when Old Trafford felt like the impregnable fortress of the Sir Alex Ferguson era.
In a fantastic encounter that had absolutely everything, substitute Amad Diallo’s winning goal in stoppage time at the end of extra time earned an FA Cup quarterfinal against EFL Championship side Coventry City next month. Amad, whose season has been hampered by injuries, was sent off for a second yellow card after removing his shirt in celebration in possibly the most callous decision of the year.
With Ten Hag’s future as United manager still anything but secure, there is no lack of irony in the fact that Coventry are managed by Mark Robins — the man often credited with keeping Alex Ferguson in a job with a crucial game-winning goal for United in an FA Cup tie against Nottingham Forest in 1990. Could Robins once again have the destiny of a United manager in his hands? Ten Hag will definitely hope not.
We already know that manager Jurgen Klopp will be departing Liverpool at the end of the season, and this loss ensures he will not be celebrating a quadruple as he travels through the Anfield exit door.
That is due to Ten Hag finding a way to transform a losing scenario into a winning one with brave changes as United pursued the game. Then Ten Hag threw caution to the wind by playing out the last minutes of extra-time with Harry Maguire, Diogo Dalot and Bruno Fernandes forming a makeshift back three.
“United took a lot of risks — I absolutely respect that,” Klopp stated.
How much of it was by chance or intent is open for discussion, but Ten Hag at least affected the result of the game. His initial move, replacing Rasmus Hojlund with Antony, paid rewards as the Brazil winger made it 2-2 late in regular time with just his second goal of the season.
By that point, Ten Had had also inserted Christian Eriksen and Amad for Kobbie Mainoo and Raphaël Varane — two aggressive players in favor of defensive ones. His choices paid off, even if they seemed like last-ditch efforts under terrible circumstances.
Having grabbed a 10th-minute lead via Scott McTominay, United had seen their advantage reversed as Liverpool went in 2-1 up at half-time after goals from Alexis Mac Allister and Mohamed Salah shortly before the halftime.
That was when Old Trafford took on a hint of resignation. Only Brentford (7) has suffered more losses when leading after United has lost five times this season after taking the lead. Furthermore, United was trailing against one of the world’s top teams.
It appeared more likely that United’s day would get worse than better, but Ten Hag’s players mustered every last bit of their tenacity and unity after being criticized throughout the season for seeming to lack both.
“The first 30 minutes was the best of our whole season,” Ten Hag said. “We were acting as a team, but then we got gaps between the lines, and you can’t allow this against one of the best teams in Europe.”They performed better than we did. The guys were amazing when we made adjustments and took some chances. The winning mentality was excellent, with a strong sense of conviction.”
United rode their luck as Liverpool dominated and wasted opportunities, but United were rejuvenated by Antony’s equalizer in the 87th minute. The only thing stopping a win without going into extra time was a spectacular miss made by Marcus Rashford with the final kick of regulation, missing the mark by six yards.
United appeared depleted of confidence and energy when Harvey Elliott extended Liverpool’s lead to 3-2 in the 105th minute, but Ten Hag inspired his team with a final push during the extra-time meeting. And he went all out once more, substituting Mason Mount, an attacking midfielder, for defender Victor Lindelöf.
Ten Hag was responding to the long-standing call from United’s supporters to be braver and take more chances as the team’s time ran out against its fiercest opponents.
Now, there were gaps all over the place, end-to-end play, and opportunities for both teams to score, just like in a basketball game. And Rashford, whose goal drought has added to Ten Hag’s issues, atoned for his earlier miss on minute 112 by sending goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher with a low strike.
Old Trafford erupted once more, but just as it appeared that this historic match would end in a penalty shootout, Amad scored a goal on a free kick on the edge of the United penalty area to make it 4-3. Together with Alejandro Garnacho, he shot in the far corner to score following an eighty-yard sprint.
Ferguson, like every other United supporter in the stadium, threw wild celebrations in the directors’ box after retiring as manager in 2013. Less than a month after new minority owner Jim Ratcliffe spoke of “knocking Manchester City and Liverpool off their perch,” Ten Hag had overseen a win that dashed Liverpool’s hopes of a quadruple. This stadium has not seen an occasion like this since Ferguson’s time as manager.
It was a signature win for Ten Hag, but for United to truly to be back and for Ten Hag to survive in his job, the club has to enjoy their own success rather than merely stopping their rivals securing it.
This win showed what the future can hold, and it certainly doesn’t hurt Ten Hag’s chances of surviving at Old Trafford despite calls for his sacking. But United’s next challenge is to win a Premier League game at Brentford. Being able to do that, away from the emotion of beating Liverpool, is what will really dictate the manager’s future.
“We are still fighting,” Ten Hag said. “For a long time in the season, we are far behind that level, but we are putting pressure on Spurs and Villa. Every game is a final, and we lost one final against Fulham. Our goal is the Champions League and silverware.”
Ten Hag might need to deliver both to have any chance of keeping his job, but this win keeps him alive and kicking.
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Ten Hag’s brave movements pay off in Man United victory vs. Liverpool
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