Manchester United’s new co-owner, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, has revealed the reason he did not sack the club’s manager Erik Ten Hag.
Recall Erik ten Hag came under stern scrutiny by Sir Jim and the INEOS team following United’s dismal campaign at the end of the 2023-24 season. The lengthy review by the UK billionaire led to a delayed resolution on the future of the Dutch gaffer.
Meanwhile, some reports claimed the new man in charge of Manchester United football operations was ready to part ways with Ten Hag following the unconvincing run.
Talks with potential replacement options for the former Ajax boss was confirmed. Former Bayern Munich and Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel was on the shortlist.
Manchester United renewed Erik ten Hag’s contract
In a dramatic turn of events, Manchester United finally decided to settle with Erik ten Hag, offering him a new contract.
To some football analysts, Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s decision not to sack Erik ten Hag was rather a bold move by the INEOS chief after the Dutch oversaw one of United’s worst European and domestic campaigns in decades.
Under ten Hag’s watch, United crashed out in the group stages of the 2023-24 Champions League, conceding the highest number of goals ever in the competition.
They also lost out of the EFL Cup and finished 8th on the Premier League table – their lowest Premier League finish in decades.
Despite the innumerable red flags, Sir Jim Ratcliffe’ still decided to continue with the 54-year-old as United manager.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe reveals why he did not sack Erik ten Hag
Speaking in an interview with The Times, Sir Jim Ratcliffe seemed to absolve Erik ten Hag of the blame for United’s poor performance in the 2023-24 campaign. The 71-year-old linked Ten Hag’s difficult campaign with Manchester United to the management crisis and the deplorable state of the club
”Erik is a good guy and had been doing his best, but doing too much,’ Ratcliffe said.
”He was trying to sort out the squad and fix leaks in the roof at the same time,” he said.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s metaphorical reference of ten Hag fixing leaks in the Manchester United roof delineates the 71-year-old’s belief that the derelict condition of the club in the past ten years significantly impacted their on-field performance and sporting success – a problem that was larger than Erik ten Hag.
“In the last ten or eleven years, it should have been a contender for the Premier League and Champions League [trophies] every year and it hasn’t at all. ‘I mean, the results speak for themselves,” he added
Manchester United struggles and Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s transformation plan
The glory days at Manchester United effectively ended in 2013 when legendary manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, called time in his 26-year year reign in the club’s dugout. Since then, they have only five trophies – one Europa League, a Community Shield, one FA Cup, and two EFL Cups.
Notably, the club had to wait for six years, from 2017 to 2023, before they won their next trophy after the FA Cup triumph under former manager Louis Van Gaal. A deadlock on the European scene also followed the misfortunes at the domestic.
Taking cognizance of the onerous task of restoring the club to its glorious days, Sir Jim Ratcliffe has been holistic in his transformation plan. He has reportedly committed £300m of his wealth to revamp moribund facilities at the club.
He also ended the work-from-home culture for Man United staff, ordering all employees to resume work from the club’s office on June 1.
A plan to build a £2.5bn 100,000-capacity stadium, tagged ‘Wembley of the North’ is also underway. New football functionaries – Omar Berrada (CEO), Dan Ashworth (sporting director), and Jason Wilcox (technical director) – have been recruited to the team.
United fans hope Sir Jim Ratcliffe will make a big difference at the club with his clear intentions and purpose-driven initiatives. However, only time will tell whether Erik ten Hag will make the best partner, driving home the initiatives with improved on-field performances.
