From Cristiano Ronaldo’s explosive interview to the public row with Jadon Sancho, Erik ten Hag’s 18 months in charge of Manchester United has been filled with challenges. He’s been presented with another in the form of new minority stakeholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe, chairman and CEO of Ineos. If the Dutchman wants to extend his stay at Old Trafford, he needs to convince the British billionaire that he remains the right man for the job.
It wasn’t so long ago that, with the first bids to buy United lodged in February, supporters were demanding that prospective owners formally commit to keeping Ten Hag as manager. However, with the recent decline of the team, fan support for Ten Hag has dwindled. The shift from a position of strength to their current decline has led to a growing chorus openly advocating for a change in management.
Assuming control of all football operations as part of his $1.3 billion agreement with the Glazer family, Ratcliffe is set to delegate the day-to-day duties to Ineos confidants Sir Dave Brailsford, Ineos director of sport, and Jean-Claude Blanc, former CEO of Juventus. Like supporters, their faith in Ten Hag is said to have diminished over the course of negotiations with the Glazers.
Initially seen as bullish about the former Ajax boss in October, the noises coming from the new part owners are not quite as emphatic. Ten Hag has overseen just five victories in 15 games since October, with a dramatic dip in form. This decline has come at a bad time for Ten Hag, who will sit down with Ratcliffe and his team for the first time at Carrington on Wednesday in a position of weakness.
Sources have revealed that Ten Hag is reluctant to give up any power in the new structure, especially his major role in the identification of transfer targets. While he has a veto on all transfer decisions according to his contract, his influence has extended beyond that, leading to United signing a number of his former players or those with links to Holland.
However, there are particular questions about the success of some of these signings. Antony, a player Ten Hag pushed for after working with him at Ajax, has failed to justify his £85m transfer fee. This raises concerns for Ineos, as they are keen to avoid signing mediocre players for big money and hefty wages.
Ten Hag doesn’t have to look far to see the tensions that can exist in a working relationship between a new owner and an inherited manager resistant to change. Thomas Tuchel, a Champions League winner in 2021, was sacked by Chelsea in September 2022 after working with new owner Todd Boehly for just 100 days.
Sources have revealed that Ineos’ preference is to keep Ten Hag until at least the end of the season, but poor results may force them to act sooner. In the meantime, Graham Potter, who was approached by Ineos in the summer, has been informally sounded out about his plans for the future, and agents have been pushing their clients’ claims to Blanc.
Ratcliffe’s stake is set to be officially ratified in early February, giving the Ineos team headed by Brailsford and Blanc time to learn about how United operates and develop a plan to move the club forward. The future of Ten Hag remains uncertain, and the pressing question is whether, in the long term, the new owners want to work with him.
The challenges facing Erik ten Hag at Manchester United are significant. The dwindling support from fans, a difference in vision with the new ownership, power struggles within the club, and the lessons from past managerial changes all contribute to the uncertain future of Ten Hag at Old Trafford. As he prepares to meet with Ratcliffe and his team, the Dutchman must find a way to convince them that he is still the right man for the job amid a period of decline.