Pressure continues to mount on Erik Ten Hag at Manchester United.
The Dutchman’s future is in doubt, as United’s new footballing department assesses the pros and cons of keeping the former Ajax boss.
HITC has previously revealed that whilst Sir Jim Ratcliffe remains a big fan of Ten Hag and fully appreciates many aspects of his management, including his ability to bring through youth players – a pillar of the way United want to work going forward.
However, it was always a caveat stipulated to Ten Hag during talks that the club’s form would have a major bearing on whether he had a future at the club.
Ten Hag does not know if he will remain in charge at Old Trafford
HITC now understands that Ten Hag does not know if he will be Manchester United manager next season.
Sources have confirmed that Ten Hag has privately admitted that he does not know whether he will still be in charge beyond the end of this season, but that does indeed fit with the messages coming from the club’s hierarchy.
HITC has been told that INEOS sporting chief and new United board member Sir Dave Brailsford, who led the initial audit of footballing operations at Old Trafford, has delivered his recommendations to Sir Jim Ratcliffe – but the minority owner, believes that the club’s new footballing department should be the ones making the ultimate decision about the manager.
Although United still have not managed to finalise the appointment of Dan Ashworth as sporting director, they have secured his number two Jason Wilcox who has taken up his role as technical director and he is due for what are described as lengthy talks with Ten Hag in the coming weeks – which will also play a big part in the club’s decision over whether to stick with the Dutchman… or not.
Form is key for Ten Hag
United are battling to finish in the top-six and are in the FA Cup final but their form in recent weeks has been hugely disappointing.
It is the club’s form that has led to Ten Hag being unclear about his future this summer.
HITC is told that ideally the club would have given Ten Hag this summer and the start of next season, whilst being part of the initial squad rebuild, but there is a real worry within the club’s hierarchy about the form that has been shown in recent weeks having won just once in their last six Premier League games.
United’s footballing department are doing their due diligence on potential successor’s to Ten Hag, but they insist that is normal to assess the market.
HITC understands that Gareth Southgate and Graham Potter both have huge fans within the club, whilst intermediaries and agents have pushed the likes of Thomas Tuchel to them, but those talks with external candidates can only go so far, until they make a firm decision on Ten Hag – which could still be more than a month away.