Ten Hag 'on trial' at Man Utd as Ratcliffe ready to pull the trigger

Tom Weber

• Updated: 12 Jan 2024 16:13 GMT
• 3 min read

Jamie Carragher believes that Erik ten Hag is on borrowed time at Manchester United now that Sir Jim Ratcliffe is on board.

The Red Devils boss has faced intense scrutiny this term after overseeing one of the worst starts to a season in club history. Man Utd find themselves in eighth in the Premier League table, some nine points off the top four.

Ten Hag's men have only won one of their previous five league games, losing to the likes of Bournemouth, West Ham and Nottingham Forest. €95 million man Antony is yet to record a single goal contribution this term, while €74m summer acquisition Rasmus Hojlund did not score his maiden Premier League goal until December.

Questions have been asked of Ten Hag and speculation about his future has abounded, though thus far the Red Devils hierarchy has kept the faith in the Dutchman despite calls for his sacking growing ever louder. According to Jamie Carragher, however, Ten Hag's invincibility is a thing of the past now that INEOS chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe has acquired control of the club's sporting operations.

Ratcliffe to sack Ten Hag?

According to the Liverpool legend, Ten Hag is essentially a caretaker boss currently fighting to keep his job permanently. "Erik ten Hag is on trial as Manchester United manager since the Ineos ‘takeover.' He is effectively an interim coach until the end of the season," Carragher wrote in his Telegraph column.

"Unless there is a significant upturn in results and performances, he will have to go. This is a natural consequence of significant boardroom upheaval. Wherever there is new investment at an elite football club, an instant review of every department follows - especially those that are malfunctioning."

"If you are Sir Jim Ratcliffe and vowing to pump billions of pounds into the club, one of the first priorities is establishing whether you have a coach who represents the dynamism you want associated with your business. Ratcliffe will attend his first United game as a major shareholder this weekend asking himself this question: is this manager a symbol of the club I want to rebuild?"