Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag leads his team into Saturday’s FA Cup final knowing that even victory may not save him from the sack.
On the face of it, that may sound harsh; they are up against a Manchester City team who have just won the Premier League for a record fourth year in a row. And what constitutes a job well done for a football manager anyway, if not leading your team to a trophy?
Ten Hag’s critics, on the other hand, will point to United’s lowest ever Premier League finish, an alarmingly porous defence, general regression from last season, and the loss of form of key players. If a manager’s job is to make a team better, the Dutchman is doing the reverse.
Thomas Tuchel, Mauricio Pochettino, Gareth Southgate and Kieran McKenna have all been alerted to the possibility of a vacancy at Old Trafford this summer, so may have an eye on the Manchester derby at Wembley this weekend.
And Ten Hag would be far from the first manager to find that winning the FA Cup is no protection against the axe. In fact, of the last 14 coaches to lift the famous trophy, nine left their job within a year, mostly against their will.
Gone within days
A year after winning the Premier League, Antonio Conte led Chelsea to the FA Cup in 2018 with a 1-0 win over Manchester United – but it wasn’t enough to save his job.
Having failed to finish in the Champions League qualifying places, the Italian was ushered out of Stamford Bridge 24 days later.
United were even more ruthless in their treatment of Louis van Gaal in 2016. Two days after lifting the trophy, the Dutchman was sacked. Ten Hag: take note.
Ten Hag could emulate Van Gaal, who was sacked by Manchester United after winning the FA Cup final
Gone within six months
If winning the FA Cup wasn’t enough, Robert Di Matteo also delivered the Champions League – a first for Chelsea – months after taking the reins in 2012.
His thanks for a historic stint as caretaker? A new contract, followed by the bullet three months into the next season.
Chelsea – them again – also showed little sentiment when it came to Jose Mourinho in 2007. Four months after winning the FA Cup, the club’s most successful manager ever was on his way “by mutual consent” amid tensions behind the scenes.
Gone within a year
Long after he stopped winning Premier League titles, Arsene Wenger kept churning out FA Cup wins with Arsenal – but they only offered a stay of execution.
Eleven months after lifting the trophy for a seventh time, in May 2017, Arsenal announced their longest-serving manager was effectively being sacked.
Carlo Ancelotti delivered Chelsea’s first ever league and cup double in 2010 but – not entirely out of character – Blues overlord Roman Abramovich only gave him so much grace.
A year later, and just minutes after the final whistle went in Chelsea’s last game of the season, Ancelotti was sent packing to become one of the most decorated coaches of all time.
Chelsea showed Carlo Ancelotti the door within a year of winning a league and FA Cup and double
Stepped down within six months
Perhaps sensing that life at Wigan wasn’t going to get any better, Roberto Martinez jumped ship for Everton three weeks after guiding them to an FA Cup-relegation double in 2013.
With great foresight, Guus Hiddink resisted overtures to stay on at Chelsea after winning the 2009 final in a spell as caretaker that he always insisted would be temporary.
And Harry Redknapp stuck around for three months after his Portsmouth team won the cup in 2008, until Tottenham Hotspur came knocking.