If MU continues to have a wasted season, don’t place all the blame on Erik ten Hag. Those who decided to keep the Dutch coach are the ones who should bear the greatest responsibility.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS group are still struggling in the chaos at MU. After the FA Cup final victory against Man City, it took them just over two weeks to decide to continue trusting Ten Hag.
Now, after a poor start to the season with three months gone, Jim Ratcliffe and his associates have yet to make any announcement regarding the head coach’s future, despite holding a six-hour meeting.
Ratcliffe has been aggressive in restructuring MU, except for the head coach position. After taking over MU last season, Ratcliffe spent time assessing the club’s mistakes in the post-Sir Alex era.
A comprehensive overhaul has taken place, with the arrival of new CEO Omar Berrada (from Man City), new sporting director Dan Ashworth (from Newcastle), and new technical director Jason Wilcox (from Southampton). Additionally, there is a plan to lay off 250 employees and upgrade infrastructure to optimize training and playing quality.
In this grand plan, MU needs a capable head coach. After all that has happened, Ten Hag does not appear to deserve a place at the helm at Old Trafford. MU under Ten Hag only performed well in his first season (finishing 3rd in the Premier League) before sliding into a downward spiral.
Last season, they finished 8th, and they currently sit 14th after seven matches this season. With just 8 points from 7 games, MU is having its worst performance since the 1989/1990 season.
The problem is that Ratcliffe has always hesitated to sack Ten Hag, even though that intention has surfaced in top-level meetings. When MU hit rock bottom at the end of last season, there were rumors of contact with Thomas Tuchel. However, after just one win in the FA Cup final, Ten Hag made a remarkable comeback.
That was a decision that the leadership team at MU will likely regret. They feel acutely aware that the team shows no signs of improvement this season and has even declined after spending over £200 million in the summer transfer window of 2024.
Nevertheless, no announcements have been made following the latest meeting. This silence may mean that Ten Hag is still safe, or the MU board needs more time to find replacement candidates. Perhaps replacing the head coach in October is too soon for a club.
In his latest remarks about Ten Hag, Ratcliffe admitted: “I am not the one who decides Ten Hag’s future; that is the job of the executive management team. They haven’t been at MU long enough, so they need to evaluate carefully and make a reasonable decision.”
This is a reality at MU. The new top management has placed too much trust in Ten Hag. Hundreds of millions of pounds spent on transfers have all been aimed at enabling Ten Hag to build his preferred style of play with suitable players or former pupils from Ajax.
If Ten Hag is sacked, MU will almost certainly have to start over with a new coach, new philosophy, and new squad. This could be an obstacle causing the MU board to hesitate to take action against the Dutch coach.
But continuing to trust Ten Hag offers no glimmer of hope. Ratcliffe and his associates’ indecisiveness also reflects the executive management’s issues at MU. Ultimately, all blame falls on Ten Hag.