Erik ten Hag snubbed for Premier League award as Man City, Arsenal & Aston Villa managers recognised

Erik ten Hag was a surprise omission from the Premier League’s Manager of the Year shortlist which was announced on Thursday.

The Manchester United manager is just two wins away from securing the Red Devils’ place in the top four, despite the disastrous start to the campaign which saw the team lose to Brighton & Hove Albion and then Brentford. But Ten Hag has turned things around and has done an impressive job in his first season at Old Trafford, leading United to a Carabao Cup triumph and potentially an FA Cup final victory

There has also been a marked improvement in the team’s performances compared to last season, while the likes of Luke Shaw, Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford have performed significantly better this campaign.

Despite that, Ten Hag was not included in the Premier League’s six-man shortlist for Manager of the Season. In fact, the list includes Aston Villa’s Unai Emery and Roberto De Zerbi of Brighton & Hove Albion, who were appointed mid-season by their respective clubs.

Also in the running are Pep Guardiola, who could win a treble with Manchester City, while Arsenal manager Mikel Atreta has been recognised for his side’s title challenge this campaign.

The final nominees are Eddie Howe and Marco Silva. The latter has all but secured a top-half finish for Fulham in the club’s first season since gaining promotion from the Championship, while Newcastle United are expected to claim a Champions League place ahead of the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.

The choice to not include Ten Hag is even more surprising given he has won the Manager of the Month award twice this season, while United have picked up 66 points from 35 matches so far in 2022/23.

The Manager of the Season vote is open and Premier League supporters can select their preferred choice here.