Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has refused to publicly support manager Erik ten Hag, amid growing speculation over his future at the club. With United struggling in the bottom half of the Premier League table, Ten Hag is under mounting pressure.
Ratcliffe, who assumed significant control at the club this summer, was asked about his confidence in Ten Hag but declined to give a direct endorsement. In an interview with the BBC, he stated, “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. The management team running Manchester United has to decide how we best run the team in many different respects.”
Despite the team’s disappointing start to the season, Ratcliffe highlighted that the club’s new management structure, including key appointments like Omar Berrada, Dan Ashworth, and Jason Wilcox, is still settling in, having only joined in July. He emphasized the need for patience, saying, “That team running Manchester United has only been together since June or July.
They weren’t there in January, February, March, or April. They’ve only been there a few weeks, so they need time to take stock and make sensible decisions.”
Ratcliffe, speaking from Barcelona where he was attending the America’s Cup, reiterated the long-term goal of returning Manchester United to its former glory: “Our objective is very clear: we want to take Manchester United back to where it should be, and it’s not there yet. That’s very clear.”
As speculation over Ten Hag’s future intensifies, Ratcliffe’s remarks suggest that any decision on the manager’s position will rest with the club’s management team, rather than himself.
