Man Utd make 'private' decision on Erik ten Hag

Cameron Smith

• 7 Oct 2024 03:15 CDT
• 4 min read

Manchester United reportedly don’t want to sack Erik ten Hag, despite the club’s poor run of results at the start of the 2024-25 campaign.

The Red Devils’ 0-0 draw against Aston Villa on Sunday means they are winless in five games across all competitions, while they are currently only 14th in the Premier League table.

Ten Hag is under massive pressure at Old Trafford, however the Man Utd hierarchy are keen to avoid sacking the Dutchman, according to ESPN.

READ MORE: It's official! Man Utd suffer WORST EVER START in Premier League history

Man Utd opted to extend Ten Hag’s contract at the club following their FA Cup win in May and the club have privately admitted they are eager to retain faith in the ex-Ajax boss, as per ESPN reporter Rob Dawson.

Club chiefs have reportedly been embarrassed by the Red Devils’ start to the season, but they want to retain faith in Ten Hag after triggering his contract extension earlier this summer.

However, despite Man Utd’s “private” desire to keep Ten Hag, the club have a huge decision to make regarding his future and talks are set to increase during a crucial meeting on Tuesday.

READ MORE: Ten Hag admits Man Utd summer signings have already FAILED

Ruud van Nistelrooy is the favourite to replace Ten Hag and FootballTransfers understands he is in line to become Man Utd manager by 2026 at the latest.

In addition, Simone Inzaghi and Thomas Tuchel have been touted as potential options for the Old Trafford giants.

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.”