IF, AS many reports suggested, Manchester United had already made the call to move on from Erik ten Hag ahead of Saturday's FA Cup Final, regardless of its result, there really could be no grumbling with either the timing or rationale.
Even this morning, the latter speaks for itself; the club's worst-ever Premier League finish-eighth with a negative goal-difference - paints a far more accurate picture of a season of regression than its redemptive final 90 minutes and a trophy lift.
It might have been regrettable for the apparent verdict to find its way, as most 'inside information' at Old Trafford seems to, into the public domain ahead of such a big game, but last week surely was the right time to be making cleareyed, sober decisions on the campaign and its conductor as a whole, before the emotion of either success or the thumping by Manchester City most expected could happen.
The challenge now, then, for Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Sir Dave Brailsford and the rest of the INEOS football operations taskforce will be in sticking to their guns.
この記事は Evening Standard の May 28, 2024 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は Evening Standard の May 28, 2024 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
Why are England wasting time waiting for Tuchel?
Winning the World Cup is the aim, so the new boss should start now
He's been shot, and punched by Mike Tyson, but British boxing's great survivor is back on top and aiming to rule the world
This is where the magic happens,\" reads a big neon sign scrawled across the entrance to the offices of arguably the most powerful man in British boxing today.
How Sketch went from 'obscene' to era-defining
After arocky start, the glamorous and infamous restaurant is now an institution
Money is worth less than time'
He's quit Fendi, but what will Kim Jones do next?
London's Roman Amphitheatre
Guildhall Yard, EC2V
Liberals didn't notice they'd lost relevance in the all-consuming digital sphere
There are many reasons why Donald Trump might have won the election last week.
Do we have to die?
One neuroscientist thinks the answer is no
How to have a magical Christmas in Edinburgh
From cosy cobblestone streets to abundant Yuletide goings-on, few cities rival the Scottish capital in creating Christmas whimsy.
London's best festive restaurants
The social season is upon us once more. These are the city’s most coveted Christmas venues, which need to be booked soon so as to not miss out on the tinsel and tipples.
Rag'n'Bone Man
I struggle with being recognised... I'll never really feel comfortable with it'
