Ratcliffe breaks silence on Ten Hag's Man Utd future

Cameron Smith

• 4 Oct 2024 17:30 BST
• 3 min read

Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has refused to back Erik ten Hag amid the Dutchman’s uncertain future at Old Trafford.

Ten Hag is under massive pressure following a disappointing start to the 2024-25 campaign, and FootballTransfers understands that Man Utd are currently looking at potential replacement options.

The Red Devils have only won three of their 10 competitive matches in all competitions so far this season and they are currently 13th in the Premier League table.

EXCLUSIVE: Man Utd to make unexpected call regarding head coach

They drew 3-3 against FC Porto on Thursday night, despite going 2-0 up, and Ten Hag now faces a potentially career-defining game versus Aston Villa this weekend.

The Dutchman signed a new contract extension at Old Trafford after guiding the club to FA Cup success in May, but he could be sacked during the upcoming October international break.

READ MORE: Inzaghi REJECTS Man Utd offer

What has Sir Jim Ratcliffe said?

When asked if Ten Hag will remain at the club for the foreseeable future, Ratcliffe told BBC Sport: “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 - [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.

"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.”