Two draws in the two potential ‘judgment games’ leave a whole lot of room for speculation and with the international break now, the rumours over a potential Erik ten Hag sack are not going anywhere.
Two losses vs FC Porto and Aston Villa would have likely sealed Erik ten Hag‘s fate. Two wins probably seal it too, just the other way around.
However, nobody now knows where things stand because not only were there two draws, but the performances in those games were polar opposites.
Now, that might just be a sign that this team actually has no identity, which would be the most damning indictment of the manager.
Still, two draws in two tricky games leaves just enough room for Ten Hag to argue that he is building something and deserves more time to get it right.
Will he get it? Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Co will decide soon in a meeting and in the meantime, Guardian’s Jamie Jackson has dropped a big update.
Erik ten Hag sack latest
Ten Hag’s future was expected to be on the agenda when the new leadership team at Old Trafford meets with Sir Jim Ratcliffe, with Joel Glazers also present.
It is worth noting that this meeting wasn’t called specifically with the intention of making a decision over Ten Hag sacking.
It is a monthly meeting but the agenda changes all the time and right now, the future of the manager has to be near the top of it.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe recently suggested that he’s not the one to take the decision over the Man Utd manager but Jamie Jackson reports that it’s not completely true.
In fact, the part-owner has already made up his mind about Ten Hag to an extent and that’s not good new for the Dutchman.
Jackson said (Via United View): “I get the feeling he [Sir Jim Ratcliffe] wants him to go. If so, are they [executive team of Omar Berrada, Dan Ashworth, and more] really going to turn around and stick their necks out for Erik ten Hag?
“They might not do that because just look at the team and see where they are. On the other hand, they spent 200 million on players for him this summer.
“It is only seven games into the league. Van Nistelrooy is a quick turnaround as a deputy caretaker ready to take over. I did get the impression that [Thomas] Tuchel is not necessarily against it either.
“If they do get rid of Ten Hag, they have time to get a permanent manager. This meeting has started first thing this morning. He keeps on saying we know where we are on the project and he genuinely believes he still has the backing of the team. He might have been a little bit naive. He should know how football works. You never know in this game.
“Not saying it will happen but the sport is crazy.”
Unpacking the Man Utd manager update
If Sir Jim Ratcliffe has made up his mind to an extent, that gives a new dimension to the whole saga where it looked like Ten Hag was safe.
It is worth mentioning that Ratcliffe saying the decision was not his to make was a departure from the usual when he said earlier that Ten Hag was overstretched in the previous structure so he deserved a chance.
That change in tune, a non-committal response now spells trouble for the manager. It is still looking more likely than not that Ten Hag remains in position for the Brentford game.
However, it is also clear that he is quickly losing credit with the board after already losing it with the fans with a run that has yielded just three wins in 11 games.
It might not be during the international break, but if the results don’t improve quickly, Ten Hag’s “project” will be halted and he won’t have any argument that he wasn’t given time. Some would argue he has already overstayed his welcome.
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