Sir Jim Ratcliffe addresses decision to keep Erik ten Hag at Manchester United

Sir Jim Ratcliffe has issued a statement following Manchester United’s decision to…

Erik ten Hag‘s future at Manchester United has been uncertain since Sir Jim Ratcliffe‘s acquisition of a 27.7% stake in early 2024 was confirmed.

The team’s poor results and inconsistent form have fueled speculation about Ten Hag’s suitability to guide United into a new era under INEOS‘ ownership. However, an FA Cup victory at the end of the season had suggested a potential path to future success.

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News last week confirmed that they had arrived at a final decision to keep Ten Hag at the club and will now look to build with him going forward.

It has also been widely said that Ten Hag will be entering negotiations for a new contract with the club, although this is far from resolved. It is expected that compromises will be needed on both sides to reach a deal.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe, speaking for the first time since the decision was made, has explained that one of the reasons the Dutchman has stayed on is that he is not a central issue at the club.

“The coach isn’t the central issue at Manchester United,” Ratcliffe told Bloomberg. Ratcliffe then pointed to the environment of the sporting side of the club.

“It’s a sports club. It needs to be competitive, it needs a degree of intensity, but with a supportive side to it because you are dealing with players who are relatively young. It hasn’t had that type of environment historically.”

Ratcliffe also explained that a key way to solve this is by looking after the club’s players, with plans for a new world club cup tournament being a step too far. “You can’t just keep taking more from footballers.”

United will kick off the 2024/25 Premier League campaign with a home match against Aston Villa on Friday, August 16.

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