Manchester United co-owner, Jim Ratcliffe, has recently added to the uncertainty surrounding the future of manager Erik ten Hag. Speaking in Barcelona following his sailing team's victory in the Louis Vuitton Cup, Ratcliffe stated that any decision regarding Ten Hag is “not my call”. This statement came as a response to questions about his other sporting interest - Manchester United.
Ratcliffe was evasive when asked by the BBC about Ten Hag, whose team managed a 3-3 draw against Porto in Thursday's Europa League match thanks to Harry Maguire’s late header.
Manchester United co-owner, Jim Ratcliffe, said:
“I don’t want to answer that question, I like Erik, I think he’s a very good coach but at the end of the day it’s not my call. It’s the management team that’s running Manchester United that have to decide how we best run the team in many different respects,”
“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 – Omar, Dan - they only arrived in July.”
Ineos team takes sporting control
When Ratcliffe’s Ineos team bought into Manchester United, they were given sporting control by the Glazer family. However, in Barcelona, Ratcliffe revealed that he had delegated this control to CEO Omar Berrarda and sporting director Dan Ashworth once their commitments with previous employers Manchester City and Newcastle respectively were completed.
Ten Hag was awarded a one-year extension in May after leading United to an FA Cup final victory over City. Despite this Wembley win doing little for improving their Premier League fortunes. After seven matches into the season, United currently sits 13th on the table having only beaten second-bottom Southampton and League One Barnsley since August 16th.
In Thursday's match against Porto, despite holding a two-goal lead at one point during playtime, they conceded twice within seven minutes before Maguire stepped up to rescue his side which was reduced to 10 players due to captain Bruno Fernandes’ indiscipline.
Final thoughts from Ratcliffe
Ratcliffe refrained from making any definitive statements regarding Erik Ten Hag or his future with Manchester United during his interview with BBC. Instead he emphasized that such decisions are now in the hands of CEO Omar Berrarda and sporting director Dan Ashworth. This leaves fans and sports betting enthusiasts in suspense as they await further developments on Ten Hag's future with the club.
Jim Ratcliffe added:
“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. 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.”
While Ratcliffe's comments have added to the uncertainty surrounding Ten Hag’s future at Manchester United, it is clear that any decisions will be made by those he has entrusted with sporting control of the club.
