Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has broken his silence on calls to sack the club’s manager Erik ten Hag.
Man United fans and pundits have been calling for Ten Hag to be shown the exit from the club following a string of poor performances this season.
After an impressive start at the helm in the 2022-23 season, the Dutchman has been found wanting since last season. United finished in their lowest league position in decades following a dismal domestic campaign. They crashed out in the group stages of the UEFA Champions League, finishing bottom of their group.
However, they were able to turn a corner from the disappointing campaign to finish strong by winning the 2024 FA Cup. A hard-fought victory over arch-domestic and city rivals Manchester City at Wembley saw the team race to the terrific finish on the back of an underwhelming campaign.
Despite the FA Cup triumph, the deflated performance in the season was still haunting Ten Hag. It took Manchester United hierarchy a lengthy review at the end of the campaign to reach a decision on continuing with him this season.
It was hoped he would build on his little gains but the reverse has been the case. In his first nine matches this season, United have recorded three wins, three draws, and three defeats.
This has further heightened the pressure on the Dutchman with calls to sack him rending the air.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe breaks silence on calls to sack Erik ten Hag
Speaking in a recent interview, Sir Jim Ratcliffe opened up on why Erik ten Hag may not be sacked soon despite the team’s rickety start to the season.
According to him, it is not his role to call for Erik ten Hag to be relieved of his job at the club. He expressed his admiration for the Dutchman but added his future at the club doesn’t depend on his decision but that of the management.
“I like Erik. I think he’s a very good coach but at the end of the day it’s not my call,” Ratcliffe said.
“It’s the management team that’s running Manchester United that have to decide how we best run the team in many different respects,” he added.
Explaining further, Sir Jim stressed that United’s management has just been recently set up in a matter of weeks. So, they aren’t expected to rush into a decision on whether to sack the Dutchman or not.
He said, “But that team that’s running Manchester United has only been together since June or July. They weren’t there in January, February, March or April – [CEO] Omar [Berrada], [sporting director] Dan Ashworth – they only arrived in July.
“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.”
Sir Jim Ratcliffe on his objectives for Manchester United
Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s comment delineates the indifference of the club’s hierarchy to calls to sack Erik ten Hag. However, the UK investor dropped a hint that the Dutchman may not be indispensable after all should the team continue to struggle for results.
He stated that the objective of the management is to get Manchester United back to its glory days. And from the look of things, the team is miles away from that objective under Ten Hag.
“Our objective is very clear – we want to take Manchester United back to where it should be, and it’s not there yet, obviously – that’s very clear”, he said.
He also hinted at a possible sack of the former Ajax boss when asked whether he is still confident of the Dutchman as the best option for United. Replying to the query, he said, “I don’t want to answer that question.”
Erik Ten Hag became Manchester United manager before Sir Jim Ratcliffe completed his partial takeover of the club.
The INEOS chief had the Dutchman’s future at Old Trafford in his hands at the end of the 2023-24 season when his contract expired. After a lengthy review in which possible replacement options were assessed, he decided to trigger the one-year extension clause on Ten Hag’s contract.
Overall, it has been a mixed bag of fortunes for the 54-year-old at the helm at Old Trafford. He has won two domestic titles – the 2023 EFL Cup and the 2024 FA Cup – in his first two seasons. He also qualified the team for 2023-24 UEFA Champions League in his debut season.
However, a series of inconsistent results in the domestic and European scenes has eroded his credibility with the fans.
With a year left on his contract, he may likely face the axe if the poor run of games continues. While dismissing the likelihood of ending the club’s collaboration with the Dutchman soon, Sir Jim Ratcliffe has refused to rule out such a possibility if things keep getting worse.
