New Delhi: Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe had added to the ongoing uncertainty surrounding Erik ten Hag’s position as head coach by stating that any decision on the Dutchman’s future is “not my call.” This comes amidst a challenging period for Manchester United, both on and off the pitch, as fans and analysts continue to speculate about the direction of the club.
The billionaire businessman took control of the football federation at Old Trafford in February and in July the club agreed to a one-year extension in Ten Hag’s contract. But before the difficult start to the season Ratcliff said the United hierarchy has put in place must “take stock and make some sensible decisions”.
Ratcliffe, when asked by the BBC about Ten Hag’s future, appeared cautious and chose not to provide a direct response. “I don’t want to answer that question,” he said while emphasizing his respect for the Dutch coach.
🚨 Sir Jim Ratcliffe on Erik ten Hag’s future: “I like Erik, he’s a very good coach but at the end of the day it’s not my call…”, tells @DanRoan for BBC.
“The management has to decide, they’ve only arrived in July”.
“Now they need to take stock, make some sensible decisions” pic.twitter.com/Vjn8IPf4xL
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 4, 2024
Ten Hag’s side have won only three of their first 10 matches of the season and are winless from the last four games in all competitions before they make a visit to Villa Park on Sunday. Ratcliff revealed that it’s the management team that has been managing the team and they will decide how to best run the team in difficult situations.
New Managerial structure in charge
Ratcliffe took time to elaborate on his delegation of responsibilities, noting that the decision-makers in charge of Manchester United have been in place for only a short period. “The management team that’s running Manchester United has only been together since June or July. They weren’t there in January, February, March, or April – Omar, Dan – they only arrived in July,” he said.
This structure signifies a shift in the operational management of the club and Ratcliffe was clear that he expects this team to take the time needed to properly assess the situation. He urged patience, highlighting that they are still in the early days of making significant changes. “They’ve only been there … you can count it in weeks almost – they’ve not been there a long time, so they need to take stock and make some sensible decisions,” Ratcliffe said.
Despite the optimism in appointing new leaders to oversee the sporting side of the club, Manchester United’s recent results have been underwhelming. After seven Premier League matches, they find themselves languishing in 13th place. Although the team secured a victory over Fulham on the opening day subsequent wins have been hard to come by with victories only against struggling Southampton and League One Barnsley in the Carabao Cup.
In European competition, Manchester United’s performances have been equally mixed. The club recently scraped a 3-3 draw against Porto in the Europa League, a result salvaged by Harry Maguire’s last-gasp header. United had taken a two-goal lead, only to see it wiped out in seven chaotic minutes compounded by Bruno Fernandes’s sending-off for a moment of indiscipline. The draw does little to ease the mounting pressure on Ten Hag who has yet to replicate the form that saw his team claim the FA Cup last season.
Ten Hag defiant and uncertainty
Ten Hag has remained resolute despite growing scrutiny. Following the Porto draw the Dutch manager reflected on his team’s mentality focusing on the positive aspects despite the evident issues. “This team has the belief that they don’t give up,” he remarked. “So they have that range of positive mentality and have a strong mentality. But in some other parts, they have to step up.” Ten Hag’s words indicate that while there are problems he believes the foundations for success remain within the squad.
🔴 Ten Hag asks for patience: “We bought again new young players, and we have to integrate them. It takes time”.
“I know in top football usually you don’t get time”. pic.twitter.com/XqrxtsbOFj
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 4, 2024
However, with speculation about his future becoming an increasingly hot topic Ten Hag was dismissive when asked if he was concerned. “There are more areas where we will improve definitely. And then we will see where we will end at the end of the season,” he responded. “I’m not thinking about such issues because that is not a topic. We are in this together. The ownership, the leadership, the team, the staff.” Ten Hag’s comments suggest unity behind the scenes despite the uncertainty hanging over Old Trafford.
Ratcliffe’s remarks have done little to clarify the future for Ten Hag but his message is clear that decisions will not be made hastily. As Manchester United’s management team settles into their roles it remains to be seen whether patience will yield results or if further changes will be on the horizon.
Ratcliffe expresses support for Ten Hag but clarifies the decision on his future isn’t his to make while the Manchester United manager remains focused despite speculations on his role at the club. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
