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Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe recently shared his thoughts on Erik ten Hag's future at the club. The Dutchman finds himself under immense pressure following another disappointing start to the season.
After losses to Brighton & Hove Albion and Liverpool, Manchester United appeared to have turned a corner with convincing wins over Southampton (3-0) and Barnsley (7-0). However, their momentum halted after draws with Crystal Palace and FC Twente, followed by a disastrous 3-0 home defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.
Despite being given more time, Ten Hag’s future remains uncertain. While Harry Maguire’s stoppage-time equalizer salvaged a point in a 3-3 draw against Porto in the Europa League, the future for the Dutchman appears bleak. The upcoming game against Aston Villa on Sunday, October 6, could be a defining moment, making a positive result crucial.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who is expected to be in the stands at Villa Park, spoke to the BBC about Ten Hag’s future. He remained cautious about revealing any potential decisions. He said that the newly restructured board, which includes CEO Omar Berrada and sporting director Dan Ashworth, will ultimately make the final call.
"I don’t want to answer that question. I like Erik, he’s a very good coach. But at the end of the day, it’s not my call. It’s the management team at Manchester United that has to decide how we best run the team in many different aspects. But that team has only been together since June, July. They weren’t there in January or February," he said (via Dan Roan on X).
They will need to take stock and make some sensible decision. Our objective is very clear, we want to take Manchester United to where it should be and it’s not there yet. There’s work to be done," Sir Jim Ratcliffe added.
The upcoming battle against Aston Villa in the Premier League is expected to be another challenging test. Unai Emery’s side have made a strong start to the season, as they sit fifth in the league table. Their mid-week UEFA Champions League victory over Bayern Munich will have only added to their growing confidence.
Erik ten Hag urges patience for his Manchester United team to reach their potential
An injury-riddled season that saw Erik ten Hag struggle to field his best starting XI consistently last season. Manchester United then brought in five new signings to strengthen their squad depth in the summer. However, things haven’t gone as planned, with the team currently sitting 13th in the Premier League with just seven points to their name.
Ten Hag has called for patience, emphasizing that the new players need time to adjust to his game model and the intensity of the Premier League.
"I’m not thinking about such [external] issues because it’s not a topic. We are in there together, the ownership, the leadership team, the staff I appointed, the new staff," he said (via Manchester United official website)
We bought again new, young players and we have to integrate [them]. You know in top football, you don’t get time, you have to perform immediately but that’s not always realistic."
Following the game against Aston Villa, Manchester United will head into a much-needed international break. Two weeks later, they’ll return to action with a fixture against Brentford, followed by a Europa League showdown against Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce.
