Ratcliffe's Man Utd investment will have Ten Hag fearing for his job
Tom Weber
- 13 Nov 2023 12:59 CST
- 4 min read
Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler believes that Sir Jim Ratcliffe won't put up with Erik ten Hag for long should Manchester United's form not improve.
The INEOS billionaire is set to invest in the Red Devils and, in addition to acquiring a minority stake, is expected to be given control over the sporting side of the club. To turn Man Utd's fortunes around, Ratcliffe is set to appoint trusted colleagues and Robbie Fowler is convinced that this is an indication the minority investor won't be afraid to pull the trigger on Erik ten Hag.
United's uninspiring 1-0 win over Luton at the weekend has only marginally eased the pressure on the Dutchman after he watched his side lose to Copenhagen in the Champions League, the result in Denmark perhaps being the low point of what has been a dreadful campaign.
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"If I was Erik Ten Hag," Fowler wrote in his Mirror column, "I’d be looking over my shoulder pretty nervously, with the news that Jim Ratcliffe is close to finalising his purchase of a quarter of the shares in Manchester United."
"You look at his head guys in Jean-Claude Blanc and Dave Brailsford, and they are both seriously big hitters...You don’t appoint people like them on huge salaries to oversee your sports operations, and then sit idly by and watch the jewel in your sporting crown...fall apart."
Woeful recruitment
The Liverpool legend pinpoints the poor signings that Ten Hag has overseen as one of the reasons why Man Utd are struggling. "The recruitment has been woeful, and the fact is, Ten Hag has to take a lot of blame for that...Casemiro anyone? Can someone explain to me how you can pay £70m for a midfielder who was almost 31, when the selling club Real Madrid thought his legs had gone?"
"Then they veer to the other route," Fowler continues, "and try to follow the likes of City and Liverpool by signing younger players - but without the quality. Antony at £89m is unfathomable, and there have been plenty more that don’t make sense."
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"And I can tell you now, Blanc with his background in turning around Juventus, then installing PSG as a European force has not been sitting around doing nothing while Old Trafford burns...The fact that Ten Hag has no solution to [Man Utd's problems] is damning. It’s not the way Blanc or Brailsford operate...they will also already have looked at prospective new managers when they take charge of the football side."
