I am as ETH out as anyone but some of the takes in this thread are winding me up a little.
First of all, they decided to keep ETH in the summer .The extension therefore was necessary. No point keeping a lame duck manager. They fully knew the risk of the extension and then having to sack him this season. They did it anyway. Looking 'silly' for backing the manager is not going to be a consideration. If they feel they need to sack him, they will.
Second, the idea that they backed ETH with 'his' players is laughable. Maz is an excellent fullback that most any club in the world would want in their squad. Yoro is a generational defender and suited to modern football tactics no matter the manager. De Ligt has world class potential and despite a slow start to life at OT has still shown his strengths both ends of the pitch and with the ball at his feet. Ugarte is a mobile defensive midfielder suited to numerous tactical set ups. Zirzkee is not an elite finisher, neither was Firminho who I see as a player that played Zirkzee's perfect role, but is mobile, technical, adept at playing numerous positions and most of all presses well and is press-resistant with the ball at his feet. Hold up play is good as well. Room for improvement as well. All of the summer signings are players that any manager we bring in will be excited to work with. It takes time to settle in at a new club, new country, etc etc. Judging players off of 10 matches at a new club is folly.
INEOS are not perfect and not above criticism. I'm sort of desperate at this point to see ETH gone but I support the decision to keep him if that's what INEOS decide. I';ll just continue to hate watching my club for the time being. But to be honest, the PLAYERS are the biggest problem, IMO. And my suspicion, or maybe better put my blindly optimistic hope, is INEOS have sussed out that the squad is the issue and perhaps have decided to stick with ETH until the summer and then weed out the players that are dragging this club down.