Erik ten Hag might no longer be at Manchester United, but the Dutchman’s powerful words have shown how Ineos have received the perfect window to finally strike now.
The 56-year-old former Manchester United manager was already in charge at Old Trafford before Sir Jim Ratcliffe purchased his minority stake in the Red Devils.
Ineos stuck with Erik ten Hag for the early part of the 2024-25 season, despite the Ineos regime exploring other candidates to replace him ahead of the campaign.
Despite Ineos heavily backing the former Red Devils boss in the 2024 summer window, Ten Hag was axed as Man Utd manager and later replaced with Ruben Amorim.
What is your INSTANT REACTION to the news Pep Guardiola will leave City?
Enzo Maresca is set to replace him: United will finish above them next season?
Erik ten Hag’s comments around Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp are a core reminder of football’s incredibly cyclical nature
During his very first press conference at Manchester United in 2022 after his move from Ajax, Erik ten Hag was asked about the dominance of the Red Devils’ rivals.
Both Manchester City and Liverpool had benefited from the respective influences of Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era at the club.
Ten Hag did not shy away from the uphill task that he faced against Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp, but he made a powerful point about Man City and Liverpool.
“They play, in this moment, really fantastic football, both Liverpool and Manchester City,” he said, as per Manchester United’s official website.
“But you will always see that an era can come to an end.”
The era is well and truly about to end, with former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager Guardiola set to leave Manchester City at the end of the 2025-26 season.
Jurgen Klopp made his exit from Liverpool in 2024 while Ten Hag was still in charge, but the final domino in the ‘era’ will fall with Guardiola’s expected departure.
How worried are you about Ineos’ financial issues?
Will there be any major impact at Man United?
With Pep Guardiola’s planned Man City exit, Ineos must now strike for Man Utd while the iron is hot
The news that Pep Guardiola will leave Man City this summer sent shockwaves throughout the footballing world on Wednesday — and rightfully so as well.
The 55-year-old Spaniard was a force to be reckoned with and constantly remained a threat to the ambitions of any Premier League title-challenging side.
However, Guardiola’s exit from Man City and the current struggles of Liverpool under Arne Slot have shown why Ineos now have a real opportunity to pounce.
Arsenal are within touching distance of the Premier League title and it feels like English football is preparing for its next cycle in the post-Guardiola era.
‘Project 150’ is a major ambition for United under Ineos, with the desired intention to lift the Premier League title in 2028 to mark the club’s 150th anniversary.
With no certainty that Man City will remain a dominant force without Guardiola, Ineos cannot afford to fumble the opportunity that has presented itself for United.
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
