Manchester United

Erik ten Hag: 'Sir Jim Ratcliffe believes in me'

By Ben Sully | 28 February 2024

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag insists that he has the backing of Sir Jim Ratcliffe despite the recent speculation surrounding his future.

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has insisted that he has the backing of new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe despite speculation about his future at Old Trafford.

Ratcliffe recently completed a deal to purchase a 27.7% stake in Man United, giving him control of the club's football operations.

The arrival of the British billionaire has led to questions arising about the long-term future of the current Man United boss.

Ten Hag saw his position come under scrutiny earlier this season following some poor results in the first half of the season, but he looked to have turned a corner with an impressive start to 2024.

The Dutchman oversaw a run of six wins and one draw in seven competitive matches, before his side welcomed Fulham to Old Trafford on Saturday.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag reacts on February 18, 2024 © Reuters

However, their fine run of form was brought to an end with a 2-1 defeat, which has reignited the debate surrounding the job security of the Man United head coach.

A recent report claimed that Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann has been identified as a candidate to succeed Ten Hag, while the likes of Roberto de Zerbi and Zinedine Zidane have also been linked with the role.

Despite the rumours about his position, Ten Hag insists that he is ignoring the outside noise and is confident that he has the backing of Ratcliffe.

"So I'm here. I'm under contract for three seasons, so I don't care," Ten Hag told reporters ahead of Wednesday's FA Cup clash with Nottingham Forest.

"I'm only focusing on the process, so I don't care what's going on around me. I have many talks with Sir Jim Ratcliffe, also with Sir Dave Brailsford and others in that group, so I know where we are and I feel that they believe in me.

Manchester United co owner Jim Ratcliffe is seen in the stands before the match on January 14, 2024 © Reuters

"I know what I'm doing. Consistently we have talks, and we're talking about the future together. If you talk about one defeat and the manager's position is in discussion, I think it's quite opportune after two months without a defeat. I can't take it seriously.

"It would be a problem when the leadership in this group has this approach or, internally, the others would have this approach, but that's not the case. We are together there.

"It's not about me. I'm not focusing on my personal circumstances, I'm just focusing on the team. It's all about focusing on that and don't get distracted by any noise."

After reaching the FA Cup final last season, the Man United manager will hope that his team can go one better this time around.

However, the Red Devils must negotiate a tricky fifth-round tie against Forest, and there is a possibility that they could be without the services of Bruno Fernandes due to a knock.