Former Manchester City financial advisor Stefan Borson has provided some insight into how Manchester United may have made it easy for themselves to sack Erik ten Hag as manager sooner rather than later.
Although the Red Devils opted to keep Ten Hag this summer following the team’s surprise success in that FA Cup final against rivals Manchester City, the new campaign has started really badly under the Dutch tactician and he surely doesn’t have much longer left at Old Trafford if things don’t improve quickly.
Borson, speaking in an interview with Football Insider, has suggested that United probably inserted a clause in his contract when they decided to keep him on, which should mean sacking him won’t come at a huge cost, or that the financial side of it might persuade them to stick with him for a bit longer.
Ten Hag’s United side are on an awful run at the moment, with no wins in their last five games, and with players in almost every position looking unsure of what they’re supposed to be doing.
While this was never going to be an easy job for any manager, Ten Hag has had a lot of time and been given a lot to spend on new signings without making any real progress.
Man United could sack Erik ten Hag without money being a big concern
Still, United fans can perhaps take some comfort in the fact that Borson thinks money shouldn’t be a major concern when it comes to changing manager.
“Ultimately, if you have to get rid of somebody, it’s an unfortunate cost of doing business and you just have to take that cost,” Borson told Football Insider.
“If anything, I suspect that they managed to get in the new contract a damages clause that would go to Ten Hag that United were happy with and would be structured in a way that they made sense because they were renegotiating the contract with a view that it could be happening within the next 12 months anyway that it might be terminated.
“I suspect they have actually made it easier for themselves in that sense rather than more difficult.”
