It is fair to say most members of the media and many fans thought the review would have been completed by now and Ten Hag would know his fate.

But in beating City – and ensuring European qualification they had looked set to miss out on – the 54-year-old became the first United boss to win trophies in successive seasons since Sir Alex Ferguson.

That allowed him to issue a blunt warning to his employers: “When I started here I said I am here to win and also that I want to build a team. I am doing both. But if they don’t want me any more I will go and win and games and trophies somewhere else.”

Ten Hag headed off on holiday and United’s hierarchy began their end-of-season review, stressing no decision around the manager would be taken until it was complete.

Within a couple of days it became apparent that anyone who thought the review would just be a speedy resume of the season or a box ticking exercise to put an appropriate gap between Ten Hag’s triumph and a dismissal were wrong.

United sources were adamant they had not set a timeline on the review. Assumptions of a resolution by the end of last week were also incorrect and, as we move into a third week, still there has been no suggestion an announcement is pending.

In the meantime, Ten Hag can only wait.

When he was linked with now filled vacancies at former clubs Ajax and Bayern Munich in the spring, it was underlined his only interest was managing United, where he still has a year left on his contract.

Various names have been touted as his successor, including Kieran McKenna, Mauricio Pochettino, Gareth Southgate, Graham Potter and Thomas Frank.

This weekend, it was reported, including by BBC Sport, that Thomas Tuchel no longer wishes to be considered for a vacancy that presently does not exist, having met Ratcliffe in Monaco in the last week. United have not confirmed the meeting, nor expressed a view on the optics around such a chat.

With all their players either on international duty or their summer break, United have no urgent need to make a final decision.

Brighton, for example, are viewed as a model club when it comes to forward planning but Roberto De Zerbi announced he was quitting on 18 May, a week before the FA Cup final, and they have still not named a replacement.

But all eyes are on Old Trafford and it seems no-one, including Ten Hag, can be sure what the eventual outcome will be.