Mike Phelan is giving Erik ten Hag something he needs at Manchester United this summer

Mike Phelan signed a new contract at Manchester United in October. That decision from the board was intended to be a public show of support for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer but they were backing the wrong horse. Solskjaer's race finished just a few weeks later.

It was negligence for Phelan to be handed a new deal when Solskajer's position was under such immense pressure. Phelan had also come under pressure, with the club not providing comment on what his role actually was. Solskjaer was asked just that in a press conference and he avoided the question. Solskjaer was a master of speaking without actually saying anything.

Solskjaer avoiding the question only increased the pressure on Phelan. He wasn't coaching at Carrington but he was on the touchline at Old Trafford. It seemed like Phelan was exaggerating his involvement to justify his existence at United on matchdays.

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He was often animated, but that changed following Solskjaer's dismissal in November. Michael Carrick, Kieran McKenna and Martyn Pert would all go on to leave United yet Phelan remained. Some United fans were baffled that he was still at the club.

Ralf Rangnick was appointed interim manager and Phelan's involvement became less than it already had been. Rangnick sought to clarify what Phelan did and he confirmed fans' suspicions. "Mike Phelan is not watching the training sessions," Rangnick said.

"He also didn’t do that when Ole was in charge But he’s also part of the training group of the staff. But he is never on the pitch when we train. He’s not out there and he didn’t do that when Ole was in charge, as I said."

It was reported in January that Phelan's role had evolved into 'smoothing