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Erik ten Hag is to stay as Manchester United manager, Sky News understands.

The Dutchman has been the subject of intense speculation over his future at the club after a disappointing Premier League campaign, which saw United finish eighth.

However they beat rivals Manchester City – the Premier League champions – to win the FA Cup final in a surprise 2-1 victory at Wembley at the end of the season.

Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes lifts the FA Cup after the side won the Wembley final. Pic: PA
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Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes lifts the FA Cup. Pic: PA

United have spent the past fortnight reviewing the 2023-24 campaign and overall first-team operation, leading to more questions over Ten Hag‘s position.

But United have decided the 54-year-old will stay in his post after considering all eventualities, it is understood.

Sky News sports correspondent Rob Harris said Ten Hag, who has been at the club for two seasons during which time United won the League Cup in 2023, is now in talks over a new contract.

He signed a three-year deal with United in 2022 – which is due to expire next summer – taking over from the club’s interim coach Ralf Rangnick after former coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked.

Sky Sports News reported former Bayern Munich and Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel held talks with United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe in France last week but was no longer under consideration for the manager role at Old Trafford.

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Man Utd ‘is a very big challenge’

While Ten Hag is aware of reports the club have been in contact with other managers, he has always wanted to stay but is realistic when it comes to expectations about his future.

Even winning the FA Cup did not end the doubts


Rob Harris

Rob Harris

Sports correspondent

@RobHarris

Erik ten Hag’s fate had been on the line through the lack of public backing since Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS gained control of football operations at Old Trafford in February.

Even winning the FA Cup – beating Manchester City so unexpectedly last month – did not end the doubts.

The moment of glory was overshadowed by the sense Ten Hag’s job was at risk following an end-of-season review, with word spreading of candidates already being approached.

The honours’ board shows the addition of a piece of silverware – just as he could produce the League Cup at last year’s inquest into the season.

But the biggest prize in English football proved elusive – just as it has been for the five permanent managers to fill the United hotseat since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 after hoisting the Premier League trophy for a 13th and final time.

Ten Hag was further than any counterpart from winning it. Eighth place was United’s lowest-ever finish in the Premier League and the worst season since 1990.

That was almost four years into Sir Alex’s reign – the Scot benefiting from patience not afforded to his successors by taking six full seasons to win his first title.

Perhaps it’s understandable Ten Hag was expected to make United more competitive sooner.

The financial firepower of Manchester City – winners of six of the last seven Premier League titles – cannot be an excuse.

After all, Ten Hag has benefited from more than £400m in new recruits.

But United finished 31 points behind Manchester City as their neighbours won a fourth consecutive Premier League title.

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Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s mission to succeed

Sky Sports News reported in May that Gareth Southgate was sounded out about the possibility of becoming United manager one day – but he had no interest in engaging in any conversation that was not about his job as England boss.

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Southgate is on good terms with INEOS director of sport Sir Dave Brailsford and he worked closely at the FA with incoming sporting director Dan Ashworth.

It has been reported by other media outlets that United have also been monitoring ex-Chelsea and Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino, Brentford’s Thomas Frank and former Brighton and Chelsea head coach Graham Potter.

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Jaguar Land Rover to ‘pause’ US shipments over Donald Trump tariffs

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Jaguar Land Rover to 'pause' US shipments over Donald Trump tariffs

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has said it will “pause” shipments to the US as the British car firm works to “address the new trading terms” of Donald Trump’s tariffs.

The US president has introduced a 25% levy on all foreign cars imported into the country, which came into force on Thursday.

JLR, one of the country’s biggest carmakers, exported about 38,000 cars to the US in the third quarter of 2024 – almost equal to the amount sold to the UK and the EU combined.

Follow live updates: Trump’s baseline 10% tariff kicks in

In a statement on Saturday, a spokesperson for the company behind the Jaguar, Land Rover and Range Rover brands said: “The USA is an important market for JLR’s luxury brands.

“As we work to address the new trading terms with our business partners, we are taking some short-term actions including a shipment pause in April, as we develop our mid- to longer-term plans.”

The company released a statement last week before Mr Trump announced a “baseline” 10% tariff on goods from around the world, which kicked in on Saturday morning, on what he called “liberation day”.

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JLR reassured customers its business was “resilient” and “accustomed to changing market conditions”.

“Our priorities now are delivering for our clients around the world and addressing these new US trading terms,” the firm said.

Trading across the world has been hit by Mr Trump’s tariff announcement at the White House on Wednesday.

All but one stock on the FTSE 100 fell on Friday – with Rolls-Royce, banks and miners among those to suffer the sharpest losses.

Read more: A red wall on Wall Street – but Trump seems to believe it will work out

Cars are the top product exported from the UK to the US, with exports worth £8.3bn in the year to the end of September 2024, according to data from the Office for National Statistics.

For UK carmakers, the US is the second largest export market behind the European Union.

Industry groups have previously warned the tariffs will force firms to rethink where they trade, while a report by thinktank the Institute for Public Policy Research said more than 25,000 car manufacturing jobs in the UK could be at risk.

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Two people die after caravan fire at holiday park in Lincolnshire

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Two people die after caravan fire at holiday park in Lincolnshire

Two people have died following a fire at a caravan site near Skegness, Lincolnshire Police have said.

In a statement, officers said they were called at 3.53am on Saturday to a report of a blaze at Golden Beach Holiday Park in the village of Ingoldmells.

Fire and rescue crews attended the scene, and two people were found to have died.

They were reported to be a 10-year-old girl and a 48-year-old man.

The force said the victims’ next of kin have been informed and will be supported by specially trained officers.

Officers are trying to establish the exact cause of the blaze.

“We are at the very early stages of our investigation and as such we are keeping an open mind,” the force said.

Two fire crews remain at the scene.

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Boy dies after ‘getting into difficulty’ in lake in southeast London

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Boy dies after 'getting into difficulty' in lake in southeast London

A 15-year-old boy has died after “getting into difficulty” in a lake in southeast London, police say.

Officers and paramedics were called shortly after 3pm on Friday to Beckenham Place Park in Lewisham.

The Metropolitan Police said a boy “was recovered from the lake” at around 10.42pm the same day.

“He was taken to hospital where he was sadly pronounced dead. His death is being treated as unexpected but not believed to be suspicious,” according to the force.

The boy’s family has been told and are being supported by specialist officers.

The force originally said the child was 16 years old, but has since confirmed his age as 15.

In the earlier statement, officers said emergency services carried out a search and the park was evacuated.

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google street view inside Beckenham Place park, Lewisham where a 16 y/o boy is missing after getting into difficulty in a lake
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Emergency teams were called to Beckenham Place Park on Friday afternoon

Beckenham Place Park, which borders the London borough of Bromley, covers around 240 acres, according to the park’s website.

The lake is described as 285 metres long, reaching depths of up to 3.5 metres.

It is designed as a swimming lake for open-water swimming and paddle boarding.

A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said on Friday: “We were called at 3.02pm this afternoon to reports of a person in the water.

“We sent resources to the scene, including an ambulance crew, an incident response officer and members of our hazardous area response team.”

Emergency teams have not explained how the boy entered the water, or whether he was accompanied by others.

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