Erik ten Hag still has to go! FA Cup success can't be allowed to mask Man Utd's disastrous season - but Dutchman can leave with dignity intact

Erik ten Hag struck a defiant tone when quizzed on his immediate future after Manchester United's 2-1 victory over Manchester City in the FA Cup final. "Two trophies in two years is not bad. Three finals in two years is not bad," he said. "If they don’t want me, then I will go somewhere else to win trophies because that is what I do."

It was a strong message to INEOS chairman Sir Jim Ratcliffe, which could roughly be translated as: 'sack me if you dare'. But at this point, Ten Hag is coming across as little more than a desperate salesman.

In the hit TV show Breaking Bad, when Walter White is conversing with Saul Goodman, the shady criminal defence attorney quips: "If you're committed enough, you can make any story work. I once told a woman I was Kevin Costner, and it worked because I believed it."

There is no doubting Ten Hag's commitment to United, or that he truly believes he is the right man to get them back to the very top of the game. But one great performance doesn't mean it's working out for him at Old Trafford.

The 2023-24 campaign has been a complete disaster, and it's vital that Ratcliffe doesn't let Ten Hag off the hook amid the celebratory mood still surrounding the club after Saturday's emotional scenes at Wembley.