Ex-United striker Andy Cole believes his old club sinned in speaking to potential successors like Thomas Tuchel – then made it worse by confessing to the Dutchman.
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Ten Hag eventually survived an end-of-season review by the Red Devils’ Ineos-based chiefs.
But Tuchel, Mauricio Pochettino, Thomas Frank, Kieran McKenna and Roberto De Zerbi were among candidates reportedly wooed by United in the weeks before his reprieve.
It’s even claimed some of those names were spoken to in the days building up to the Red Devils’ momentous 2-1 FA Cup final victory over neighbours and Premier League champions Manchester City on May 25.
Such was the tactical triumph for Ten Hag that day, it’s reckoned the Wembley glory tipped the balance in his favour when Ineos appraised his work over the following fortnight.
Having won the League Cup the season before, the former Ajax chief has now been cleared for a third season in charge.
But Cole still reckons United breached an unwritten code in approaching possible alternative managers.
The ex-England ace told Betfred: “Admitting that you’ve spoken to another manager is like telling your wife that you’ve been messaging another girl. It’s like committing adultery.
“For Erik ten Hag to claim that he was told by the club that they were speaking to Thomas Tuchel is crazy.
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“It’s just strange and even more so when you consider how public it’s all been.”
It follows Ten Hag revealing United openly admitted to him they’d made contact with an ex-Chelsea boss.
He told Dutch broadcaster NOS: “United have told me that they spoke with Tuchel.
“But they eventually came to the conclusion that they already have the best manager.”
However, Ten Hag also confirmed that he and the club have yet to renew their wedding vows.
He said: “Manchester United and I still have to find an agreement for the new contract.
“This isn’t easily done, we are still going to have to talk about this.”
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Erik ten Hag is no safer now than before FA Cup win
By Neil Custis
After Manchester United announced Erik ten Hag was staying on, they tried to explain why it has taken over two weeks since the Dutchman paraded the FA Cup at Wembley to actually tell him he still had the job.
A thorough review of the season was needed even though Ten Hag said before the Cup final that this had been done.
The club said that they had ‘considered all eventualities’.
In other words ‘which manager would be best for us, and not necessarily the bloke we have got?’.
And the club were also at pains to make it clear how much they admired Ten Hag’s ‘dedication, dignity and professionalism’.
In other words he did not publicly flip his lid at the appalling way he was being treated despite asking Ratcliffe for a public vote of confidence months before the end of the season.
Let us remember Ratcliffe did not even namecheck Ten Hag in his ‘congratulations message’ after the FA Cup was won, despite the fact it was all down to him and the way he outthought Pep Guardiola on the day.
Read the full column from Neil Custis on Manchester United.