“Win or lose, I think Ten Hag is going” — Rio Ferdinand

Manchester United legend, Rio Ferdinand has backed the current manager Erik ten Hag to leave the club at the end of the season no matter how results turn out in the FA Cup against Premier League Champions, Manchester City.

The two Manchester clubs are set to lock horns at Wembley prior to the UEFA Champions League final, this coming Saturday in a repeat of last FA Cup final that saw the Red Devils lose out in 2-1 defeat thanks to goals by Ilkay Gundogan for City and Bruno Fernandes for United.

Ahead of the game, Rio Ferdinand has voiced his belief that manager Erik ten Hag will be dismissed by the club, even if he manages to secure an unexpected FA Cup victory at the end of the month.

Despite concluding their Premier League season with a 2-0 win against Brighton, Ten Hag is under significant pressure following a challenging campaign.

Manchester United lost 19 games across all competitions which could become 20 if they lose to Manchester City on Saturday.

The Red Devils also finished eighth in the league, and are poised to miss out on European football for the first time since 2015 unless they defeat Manchester City in the FA Cup final next weekend.

Rio Ferdinand expressed his doubts about Ten Hag’s future, suggesting that the club’s co-owners, Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS, will likely review and possibly terminate his position after the FA Cup final.

“Win or lose, I don’t think Ten Hag will be there next season,” Ferdinand stated on his FIVE YouTube channel.

“I believe the club will look elsewhere. I don’t think winning the FA Cup changes anything in the eyes of INEOS. This is just my assumption, I haven’t spoken to anyone there.”