“I have said this multiple times but this is the final straw. His performance during today’s match was the last straw. He was just wasting the efforts of his teammates. He has only been a disappointment” – This is according to Manchester United legend Gary Neville as he claims that Ratcliffe needs to remove a Manchester United player who performed poorly, scoring just 1 out of 10, in the match against Brentford.

On Sunday, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, co-owner of Manchester United, embarked on the challenge of running the prestigious London Marathon. He finished the race in four hours and 30 minutes, but the marathon turned out to be less taxing compared to the events that unfolded later that day.

An hour after completing the marathon, Ratcliffe was at Wembley Stadium, where Manchester United faced Coventry City in the FA Cup semi-final. What seemed like a straightforward game, with Erik ten Hag’s men leading 3-0, quickly turned into a tense battle as Coventry mounted an extraordinary comeback, threatening to overturn the result.

To be honest, Manchester United were lucky not to lose. As the match stretched into extra time and reached the 121st minute, it looked like Coventry, under the guidance of Mark Robins, were about to pull off one of the most stunning upsets in FA Cup history.

However, the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) intervened. What would have been a monumental goal was ruled out for offside, and the match headed into a penalty shootout. Despite Casemiro missing United’s first spot-kick, the Red Devils managed to scrape through to the final.

This is the second consecutive season in which Erik ten Hag has led United to a final, having won the Carabao Cup last season. But does this success secure his job? Arguably, no. Under ten Hag’s leadership, United appears to be faltering, and a change might be necessary this summer, regardless of whether they lift a trophy.

What has gone wrong for ten Hag? It’s a question worth exploring. The Dutchman arrived at Manchester United with a glowing reputation after his successful stint at Ajax, but his current season has been far from impressive. Despite the FA Cup final appearance, United’s overall campaign has been disappointing. They exited the Champions League at the group stage and currently sit seventh in the Premier League, 16 points adrift from a Champions League spot.

At a club of Manchester United’s stature, finishing in the top four is the bare minimum, and challenging for the Premier League title should be standard. However, the team is nowhere near that level, and there are few signs of improvement.

While injuries to key players like Luke Shaw and Lisandro Martinez have affected the team, those setbacks shouldn’t have drastically altered the overall style of play. The bigger problem lies in United’s defense. Since February, the team has conceded seven goals during injury time, which points to deeper issues beyond bad luck.

According to Understat, Manchester United is ranked as the fifth-worst team in the Premier League for expected goals against (xGA), with a figure of 63.61. In comparison, Arsenal leads the league with an xGA of just 25.89, highlighting the significant gap in defensive quality.

Offensively, United also falls short. Despite their three goals at Wembley, they sit 12th in the league for expected goals (xG), with a total of 50.36—below teams like Everton, who are fighting relegation.

In addition, ten Hag’s substitutions during the Coventry game raised eyebrows. Just before Coventry’s comeback, he replaced Garnacho with the underperforming Antony, and later, at 3-1, swapped Kobbie Mainoo for veteran Christian Eriksen. These decisions, coupled with late introductions of Omari Forson and Amad Diallo in extra time, didn’t help United maintain their grip on the match.

Ten Hag was already under scrutiny before the game at Wembley, but now the pressure is even greater. Critics have been harsh, with Samuel Luckhurst from the Manchester Evening News giving ten Hag a 1/10 rating for his handling of the semi-final. It may seem extreme, but the Dutchman’s time at United may be running out as the gap between the club and the Premier League’s top teams continues to grow.