The perils of going to Manchester United

Plodding up Wembley Way to the FA Cup Final at the weekend surrounded by a phalanx of well-refreshed Manchester United fans was not a savoury experience, but the game was something else. What was clear was how good United were, full of bite and high-throttle energy, ready to go for broke against the best team in the world, and playing in a way that hasn’t been seen all season. So Manchester City couldn’t pull off their ‘double-double’ – the League title and the Cup in two successive years. For the first time, United played for their manager, Erik ten Hag, and Pep Guardiola couldn’t do anything about it. On this occasion, the Dutchman showed superior tactical nous to outwit him.

Whether it’s enough to save his job is another matter. Jim Ratcliffe has been noticeably mute when offered the chance to support Ten Hag, so the decision to remove him has probably been made. Ratcliffe could get this very wrong, as Ineos’s sporting record, from cycling to sailing, is far from perfect. Who do the top branch want? And what sort of football do they want the team to play? Who will have to tackle the knotty dilemma of whether to accept a job offer at Old Trafford? Will it be Kieran McKenna (Ipswich), Thomas Frank (Brentford) or even England’s Gareth Southgate? There’s a big risk of ending up falling from a very great height, very quickly, possibly bringing your career to a brutal full stop.

McKenna has reportedly signed a contract keeping him at Ipswich, though I wouldn’t bank on his newly promoted club much enjoying life in the Premier League next season. You couldn’t blame Frank (who has the rare ability, as a middle-aged man, to pull off the V-neck sweater with nothing underneath look) for coveting the United job, of course.