Man Utd put Erik ten Hag on trial as Red Devils start audit into coach's methods before making decision on his future

Speculation and uncertainty over Ten Hag's future at Old Trafford is growing in the wake of Sunday's serious flirtation with an embarrassing FA Cup semi-final defeat against second tier Coventry, as well as consistently disappointing league results. Now that Jason Wilcox has been appointed technical director, joining from Southampton, the Daily Telegraph reports that he is tasked with carrying out an "audit" looking in detail at the manager's strengths and weaknesses, plus his overall suitability moving forward.

The possibility of a managerial change being made this summer stems from Sir Jim Ratcliffe's investment in the club and takeover of sporting control. The 71-year-old billionaire raced to Wembley on Sunday after completing the London Marathon to witness the inexplicable collapse and the Telegraph hints that missing out on European qualification this season could be catastrophic for Ten Hag. Wilcox must also assess Ten Hag's relationship with the squad, which has come under scrutiny again after an incident involving Alejandro Garnacho 'liking' critical social media posts following last year's storm over Jadon Sancho. With the club's new sporting hierarchy wishing to implement an overarching style and philosophy, Ten Hag has to be seen as the right fit for that too. However, his saving grace could be the lack of an obvious successor.

Ten Hag still has just over 12 months left on the three-year contract he signed when he arrived from Ajax in the summer of 2022, meaning United would likely have to be pay out compensation were he to leave the job any sooner. The Dutchman's staff - including Steve McClaren and Mitchell van der Gaag - would also likely follow him out of the door.

United are 16 points adrift of the Premier League top four with only 18 left to play for - just one more win for Aston Villa would make Champions League qualification impossible. However, the FA Cup final against Manchester City at Wembley next month gives hope that the season might not end trophy-less. Victory in that game, or a fifth or sixth place Premier League finish, would equate to Europa League football next season.