Already, Sir Jim Ratcliffe has alluded to Erik ten Hag’s potential at Man United.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe hailed Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta patience. (Image: GERAINT THOMAS CYCLING PODCAST
If Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS choose to fire Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag this summer, Ratcliffe will expose himself to accusations of hypocrisy. The Dutchman’s future is reportedly being evaluated by United as they evaluate their mostly disappointing second season in management, which was somewhat brightened by their FA Cup victory on Saturday.
The Red Devils had their worst-ever seasons in the Premier League and the Champions League, and data indicated that they were lucky to place as high as eighth.
They thus completely lost out on European qualification before shockingly defeating Manchester City 2-1 at Wembley Stadium to secure a Europa League berth.
After becoming the first United manager to win major trophies in back-to-back seasons since Sir Alex Ferguson in 2011, Ten Hag has gained the support of both pundits and fans.
Others think that the club’s decline This term provides sufficient evidence to recommend that INEOS appoint themselves to the dugout as the first step in their stewardship of football operations.
According to reports that surfaced last week, United had already made the decision to fire Ten Hag because of the growing crisis at Old Trafford, regardless of the FA Cup final result.
After the events of the past weekend in the capital, the 54-year-old’s future is now more uncertain than it has ever been, frustrating supporters ahead of a crucial summer transfer window.
But Ratcliffe may have already given away some of his wisdom in March when he complimented Arsenal for supporting Mikel Arteta despite his early setbacks.
Ratcliffe said, “I hate them all,” in response to a question on Geraint Thomas’ cycling podcast about who he wanted to win the title.
“You have Arsenal, Man City, and Liverpool. I’m not sure. They’re all adversaries. There’s no way I could pick just one.
For Arteta, [winning the league] would be beneficial. He’s performed really well, and Arsenal has been patient with him, so it would be beneficial for him.”
After Unai Emery was replaced by Arteta in December 2019, Arsenal finished fifth in his first three seasons in charge after finishing eighth twice in a row.
Intense pressure was being applied to the Spaniard from both inside and outside the team, but probably most from the disgruntled supporters who had had enough of their team’s lackluster play following Arsene Wenger’s retirement.
Arsenal, however, persisted because they had faith in their long-term plan, and they are now benefiting from it.
Since Arteta won the FA Cup in his debut season, the Gunners have yet to win a major trophy, but they have defeated Manchester City in the last two Premier League title contests.
If Ratcliffe fired Ten Hag after he won a major trophy at Old Trafford for the second time in as many seasons—more than Arteta had in five at the Emirates Stadium—it wouldn’t look good.
Notwithstanding the brutality of their decision-making, INEOS is compelled to follow their own long-term vision, and Ten Hag’s suitability will be continuously debated.
