10 March 2024 , 16:06
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Erik ten Hag is under pressure as Manchester United manager – but the more he struggles, the more difficult it could be to sack him.
United are sixth in the Premier League, eight points adrift of the top four, despite beating Everton 2-0 on Saturday. They were knocked out of the Champions League in the group stages and have been beaten 11 times in 28 league games already this season.
The arrival of Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS team after his purchase of a 27.7 stake in the club has put a spotlight on Ten Hag’s future. Ratcliffe has gained a reputation as being a no-nonsense owner at Nice and the boyhood United fan, has made it clear he won't tolerate poor performances in Manchester as he looks to challenge City and Liverpool at the very top of the English game.
As Mirror Football recently reported, Ten Hag has been given no assurances over his future, even though he is under contract until June 2025. The Dutchman recently had discussions with Ratcliffe and INEOS head of sport Sir Dave Brailsford, but received no clarity on the situation.
But, as first reported by BBC Sport, Ten Hag’s position, while not strengthened, is perhaps more secure than it should be given their patchy form. That's because it would cost United £12million to sack him this summer and that compensation would count against the club’s profit and sustainability figures.
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Like many clubs, United are already struggling in that area and failure to qualify for the Champions League would be a further blow, especially as Newcastle have quoted them £20m to hire Dan Ashworth as sporting director. As Ratcliffe said in an interview last month: “We have a short term issue, which is we really, really want to get into the Champions League next year. It is quite important for FFP.”
Qualifying for the Champions League would ease the financial concerns – and would also give United the funds to pay off Ten Hag and his coaching staff. United are not understood to have held formal talks with potential candidates to replace Ten Hag, but representatives of managers have been putting their clients forward.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe is yet to make a decision on Erik ten Hag (Manchester United via Getty Images) HAVE YOUR SAY! Should INEOS stick with Erik ten Hag or find a new manager? Comment below.
United are in a difficult position financially, but there is little chance they would keep Ten Hag for another season just because they didn’t want to pay him off. Ratcliffe is not one to stick with mediocrity if he thinks improvements can be made.
He recently told Belgian newspaper De Tijd : “We have to look at the organisation of the club because it is not good at the moment. Take the head coach, for example, he must report directly to the CEO. That is no longer possible in a modern football organisation.
“We have to ensure that the right people end up in the right positions. Every person in management must be world-class. And then it is important to create a positive, supportive, friendly and high-quality environment. That culture was missing before. Only in such an environment can you get the best out of sportsmen. If successful, the results will follow automatically. That's the plan and I believe in it.”
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