Erik ten Hag looks set to remain as Manchester United manager, but it has been revealed that co-owner Jim Ratcliffe has indicated he is ready to sack him.
United's form has been poor this season. They won 1-0 in the opening Premier League game, but their form has declined since then and they are currently 14th in the league. They lost 1-2 away to Brighton & Hove Albion and were beaten 3-0 by strong teams at home. They were beaten 3-0 by Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur. Their most recent away game was a poor 0-0 draw at Aston Villa. They have now won 2, drawn 2, and lost 3, and have scored only 5 goals. Only newly promoted Southampton have scored fewer goals than United. Their performance and form are poor.
But their performance in European competitions is not good either. They drew in the first and second rounds of the UEFA Europa League. They should have earned three points despite a 1-1 draw with Twente in the Dutch league. They also scored two goals and conceded three in Porto away. Harry Maguire’s dramatic equaliser narrowly saved a draw. The top eight teams will advance straight to the last 16, with Manchester United currently sitting in 21st place with two draws.
The Manchester United board held a regular meeting after the 0-0 draw with Villa. It is reported that a decision will be made on whether to sack Ten Hag. Local media has already reported that there has been a lot of talk about the next manager since Ten Hag was sacked, and that the Manchester United board has started making contacts.
The Manchester United board appears to have decided to keep manager Ten Hag after a seven-hour meeting. Paul Hurst, a journalist who is well-versed in the European transfer market, reported on the 9th (Korean time), "After today's meeting, manager Ten Hag appears to have survived as manager of Manchester United." Many media outlets also reported that manager Ten Hag, who went on a short vacation during the international break, is preparing for the Brentford match as usual.
However, it was revealed that the opinions of the Manchester United board members who attended the meeting, including co-owner Lord Ratcliffe, differed. British magazine Team Talk reported on the 10th, "Despite Manchester United co-owner Lord Ratcliffe's recommendation to dismiss manager Ten Hag, director Dan Ashworth and CEO Omar Berrada, who made the final decision, decided to trust manager Ten Hag."
That means that co-owners Ratcliffe, CEO Berrada, and Director Ashworth did not share the same views. CEO Berrada and Director Ashworth are board members who Ratcliffe brought in after acquiring a minority stake in Manchester United. CEO Berrada contributed to the club's growth into one of the best clubs in Europe through his ability at Manchester City, while Director Ashworth worked as a director at Newcastle United and Brighton & Hove Albion, where he discovered many promising players.
Co-owner Ratcliffe appears to have ultimately decided to trust CEO Berrada and director Ashworth. The outlet said: "Although Ratcliffe had demanded that manager Ten Hag be sacked and replaced by Thomas Tuchel, he trusted CEO Berrada and director Ashworth. He believed their decisions would lead in the right direction."