Sir Jim Ratcliffe has no plans to replace Erik ten Hag as Manchester United head coach despite the recent rumours, according to a report.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe reportedly has no plans to replace Erik ten Hag as Manchester United head coach despite the recent rumours surrounding the Dutchman’s future.
Ten Hag’s position at the helm has been called into question due to Man United’s struggles this season, with the Red Devils already suffering eight defeats in all competitions.
A recent report claimed that Ratcliffe, who is preparing to purchase 25% of the Red Devils, was planning to bring in Brighton & Hove Albion‘s Roberto De Zerbi as the team’s new manager.
Ratcliffe is expected to take over sporting operations at the club upon his arrival, which is likely to be confirmed before the end of 2023.
However, according to The Mirror, despite the recent speculation, the founder and owner of the INEOS Group has no plans to replace Ten Hag as manager.
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The report claims that Ratcliffe is confident that Ten Hag will be able to turn the team’s season around and believes that the Dutchman would thrive with ‘a more efficient recruitment operation’.
Ratcliffe is expected to bring in his own team, putting the futures of the club’s CEO Richard Arnold and director of football John Murtough in severe doubt.
Ten Hag’s future was called into question following back-to-back defeats to Manchester City and Newcastle United in the Premier League and EFL Cup respectively.
The losses, which were both by a scoreline of 3-0, made it Man United’s worst start to a campaign since 1962-63, but they managed to bounce back against Fulham on Saturday, with Bruno Fernandes netting a stoppage-time winner at Craven Cottage.
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Ten Hag’s role in the recruitment of players is expected to be reduced once Ratcliffe arrives, with the British billionaire preparing to put a proper structure in place.
Man United are currently preparing to travel to Denmark for a huge Champions League clash with Copenhagen, which is a must-win fixture due to their position in the section.
The 20-time English champions will then host Luton Town in the Premier League next weekend before the campaign breaks once again for the November internationals.
Ratcliffe is said to be determined to complete a full takeover of Man United in the future and views purchasing 25% as an important first step in the process.
There have been claims that the 71-year-old is pushing for the club to be active in January, with a new centre-forward potentially being targeted.
