After Erik ten Hag’s sacking by Man Utd, it’s not only about who replaces him but how much time they will be given
It is not just about the finances. Erik ten Hag benefited from more than half a billion pounds in new signings.
It is not just about refereeing decisions. The manager was running out of excuses as Manchester United lurched to new lows.
And it is not just about who owns the club. The Glazers relinquished control of club operations to Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
The self-proclaimed “strengthened football leadership team” installed by INEOS sacked Ten Hag less than four months after activating a costly contract extension.
It was the consequence of dithering rather than decisiveness, having undermined Ten Hag in the summer.
Even before the FA Cup final, potential replacements started to be sounded out.
Beating Manchester City unexpectedly at Wembley seemed to complicate matters.
It was another piece of silverware to follow the League Cup in his first season. But surely it could not mask Ten Hag presiding over United’s worst-ever Premier League season?
As Manchester City staged a title parade, United continued an inquest into why they finished 31 points behind their neighbours.
The Dutchman got extra time when he unexpectedly won the FA Cup. Pic: PA
The decision dragged on, leaving Ten Hag’s fate up for public debate for a couple of weeks before Sir Jim’s INEOS crew kept him on.
Publicly they acknowledged “areas for improvement” but called him their “best partner”.
They really wanted it to work out.
But hanging over this miserable start to the season – no wins from three games in Europe and only three victories from nine in the Premier League – was the precariousness of his position in the summer.
This is not an era for the patience or perseverance that saw Sir Alex Ferguson given seven years before winning the league for the first time in 1993.
None of Sir Alex Ferguson’s successors have come close to his success. Pic: PA
Now it is the shadow of Sir Alex and his success looming large over his successors.
It is not just a Ten Hag problem that the Premier League trophy has spent 11 years away from Old Trafford.
He was the fifth permanent manager to attempt to bring it back and flop dismally.
What United lack is a coherent strategy that INEOS claims to be implementing.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Who is favourite to be next Man Utd manager?
They have only been in place since February, accelerating appointments from a sporting director attracted from Newcastle (Dan Ashworth) and a CEO (Omar Berrada) convinced to defect from City.
Everything has been reviewed, from the stadium infrastructure to spend on matchday staff food.
There is a fallen empire to restore. One that has crumbled since the days of Sir Alex winning 13 Premier League titles.
The men in the squad cannot use Ten Hag’s premature exit as an excuse. But around them there is only chaos, rather than stability in the quest for a vision on and off the pitch.
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
It is not only about who replaces the Dutchman but how much time they will be given to restore United’s standing.
And it is not about whether the funds are available to spend on players, but whether transformative players even want to join.
Muddling through the Erik ten Hag decision adds to the sense of disarray.
And there is a worst-ever Premier League start to turnaround – quickly.
UK drivers are “confused” by the country’s electric car transition, ministers are being warned.
Although most drivers are not hostile towards electric vehicles (EVs), many are confused about what changes are coming and when, according to new research from the AA.
In a survey of more than 14,000 AA members, 7% thought the government was banning the sale of used petrol and diesel cars.
Around a third thought manual EVs exist, despite them all being automatic.
More than one in five said they would never buy an EV.
The government’s plan for increasing the number of electric vehicles being driven in the UK focuses heavily on increasing the supply of the vehicles.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
What you can do to reach net zero
In 2024, at least 22% of new cars and 10% of new vans sold by each manufacturer in the UK had to be zero-emission, which generally means pure electric.
Each year, those percentages will rise, reaching 80% of new cars and 70% of new vans in 2030.
Manufacturers will face fines of £15,000 per vehicle if electric vehicle sales fall short of 28% of total production this year.
Read more from Sky News:
Survivor reflects on five years on from COVID
At least 12 people injured in shooting in Toronto
By 2035, all new cars and vans will be required to be fully zero emission, according to the Department for Transport.
Second-hand diesel and petrol cars will still be allowed to be sold after this date, and their fuel will still be available.
There are more EVs – but will people buy them?
In February, 25% of new cars were powered purely by battery and in January, they made up 21% of all new cars registered in the UK.
But despite the growth of electric sales, manufacturers continue to warn that the market will not support the growth required to hit government EV targets, and called for consumer incentives and the extension of tax breaks.
The AA suggested the government’s plan focuses on “supply but does little to encourage demand for EVs”.
It called on ministers to co-ordinate a public awareness campaign alongside the motoring industry which directly targets drivers who doubt the viability of EVs.
“Our message to government is more needs to be done to make EVs accessible for everyone,” said Jakob Pfaudler, AA chief executive.
Which? head of consumer rights Sue Davis said: “When it comes to making sustainable choices such as switching to an electric car, our research shows that people are often held back by high costs, complex choices or uncertainty.
“The government needs to provide the right information on electric vehicles and other sustainable choices so that people have the confidence to switch.”
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “We’re investing over £2.3bn to help industry and consumers make a supported switch to EVs.
“This includes installing a public charge point every 28 minutes, keeping EV incentives in the company car tax regime to 2030, and extending 100% first-year allowances for zero-emission cars for another year.
“Second-hand EVs are also becoming cheaper than ever, with one in three available under £20,000 and 21 brand new models available for less than £30,000.
“We’re seeing growing consumer confidence as a result.”
-
Sports2 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports11 months agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports1 year agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports3 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Business2 years agoBank of England’s extraordinary response to government policy is almost unthinkable | Ed Conway