da roleta： The Dutchman looked like a dead man walking at the end of the Premier League season – but his FA Cup win has granted him a stay of execution

da realbet： Well, who saw that coming?! After just over two weeks of assessment, Manchester United have decided that Erik ten Hag deserves to continue as manager. Such a development seemed unthinkable after an eighth-placed finish in the Premier League, as well as a humiliating group-stage exit from the Champions League.

However, it seems that United's shock FA Cup triumph, which saw them pull off an almighty upset in the final by beating Manchester City at Wembley, changed everything. Of course, the lack of one truly outstanding candidate to replace Ten Hag at the helm obviously helped the Dutchman hold onto his job too.

So, who benefits most from this surprise turn of events? Who'll be celebrating right now? And who'll be fearing for the future? Below, GOAL runs through all of the winners and losers of Ten Hag staying at Old Trafford…

GettyLOSER: Sir Jim Ratcliffe

Sir Jim Ratcliffe has shown his ruthless streak over the past few months by implementing a series of severe cost-cutting measures at Old Trafford. Consequently, it was almost taken as a given that the British billionaire would promptly dispense with the services of a manager who had overseen a historically bad season at United.

But the review went on longer than anyone expected. The wait for a decision on Ten Hag's future had entered a third week before an official announcement was finally made. INEOS believes that such a thorough process was a necessity but, rightly or wrongly, the delay did nothing but convey the impression that Ratcliffe & Co. were keeping Ten Hag waiting while they tried – and failed – to find a better manager to take over.

Many of the season-ticket holders that were subjected to a record-equalling nine home defeats last season will also be astounded that INEOS spent so much time mulling over the merits of keeping Ten Hag – and still made the wrong call in their eyes.

Make no mistake about it: the way in which this whole affair has been handled has made United's new co-owners look surprisingly weak and indecisive. The fans hoping that Ratcliffe's arrival would signal the start of a new era of success are now fearing more of the same dismal decision-making.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWINNER: Erik ten Hag

Ten Hag is said to be "delighted" by the outcome of the review – and why wouldn't he be? At the end of United's worst-ever Premier League campaign, he looked like a dead man walking. Indeed, a once-reputable English newspaper even claimed that the decision had already been taken to sack the manager.

However, history appears to have repeated itself somewhat. An FA Cup win all the way back in 1990 saved Sir Alex Ferguson's job. It's now done likewise for Ten Hag, who is not only staying but is also set to be given a new contract to solidify his position at Old Trafford – which represents one of the more incredible managerial turnarounds we've seen in recent years.

Getty / GOALLOSER: Jadon Sancho

Jadon Sancho may not have wanted to go back to Old Trafford anyway. Turning his loan stay at Borussia Dortmund into a permanent transfer was clearly always the dream, given his return to Signal Iduna Park helped him rediscover something approaching his best form. However, there's certainly no chance of him going back to Manchester now that Ten Hag has been confirmed as coach for another season.

As well as publicly accusing the manager of making him a "scapegoat" for United's poor performances, he also effectively called him a liar. Given there is presently no evidence to suggest that Sancho's stance on apologising for his remarks has softened, it seems that his United career is now over.

Getty ImagesWINNER: Antony

Ten Hag staying is obviously good news for Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo, two young men who have flourished since being given a chance to prove themselves at the highest level by the United boss. However, there will be no happier player than Antony right now. His Old Trafford career might just have been rescued after a disastrous season that yielded just one goal and one assist in 29 Premier League appearances.

It's certainly in Ten Hag's interest to give the Brazilian another chance. Antony was the attacker that he felt compelled to take from former club Ajax (not Muhammed Kudus!) and the winger's dismal displays and staggering £82million transfer fee have long been used as a stick with which to beat Ten Hag.

Given no other club would be willing to pay even a third of that fee for Antony this summer, it now seems likely that he'll get an unexpected and undeserved chance to belatedly prove his worth in the Premier League.