Tumultuous Tenure: Manchester United's Erik ten Hag Facing the Exit Door

Erik ten Hag's term as Manchester United's manager could be soon concluding with critics asserting there's no path for his comeback. The Red Devils made their way to the FA Cup final last Sunday albeit narrowly, requiring penalty shootouts to triumph over Championship team Coventry City. They'd been leading 3-0 with around 20 minutes of play remaining at Wembley stadium, suggesting a comfortable victory which didn't eventuate.

In the Premier League, Manchester United lags in the seventh spot, a considerable 16 points away from the leading four. Moreover, the team also made an early exit from this season's Champions League during the group stage.

Former Premier League forward, Chris Sutton, believes Ten Hag's tenure has come to an end, with former Newcastle and Manchester City goalkeeper Shay Given concurring. Debates arose questioning Ten Hag's management decisions, especially his substitution choices.

However, the Dutchman, who achieved the Carabao Cup trophy in his initial season as United's manager, considers the situation not embarrassing but merely a challenging circumstance from which the team has to learn. He emphasized that inconsistency has been the team's fundamental issue where high and low performance levels coexist in the same match.

Though speculation surrounds his job security at Old Trafford, some still draw parallels between him and Arsenal's Arteta's journeys. Both of them exhibited similar win percentages, lending credence to arguments that United's situation might not be as dire as it currently seems.

Manchester United are set for the FA Cup final against Manchester City on May 25th, echoing last season's final which saw the Blues victoriously steering towards a historic treble. As the season advances, fans and analysts alike are closely watching the unfolding narrative of Ten Hag's profound predicament.