Sir Jim Ratcliffe has made his feelings clear that Erik ten Hag is “not under pressure” to complete one objective at Manchester United in the 2024-25 season.
Erik ten Hag is set to take charge of Manchester United for his third season after the Dutchman inked a new contract extension with the Red Devils this summer.
The 54-year-old Dutchman has seen a shake-up to his coaching staff, including the arrivals of Ruud van Nistelrooy and Rene Hake as his new assistant managers.
Ten Hag kicked off the United pre-season tour this month with the Red Devils suffering a 1-0 defeat to Norweigan side Rosenborg last week.
However, United bounced back from the Rosenborg defeat and secured a 2-0 win over Ranges on Saturday at the Murrayfield Stadium in Scotland.
Ten Hag has been without several first-team players for the pre-season tour this summer after the 2024 Copa America and Euro 2024 in Germany.
Ratcliffe’s expectations from Ten Hag
Erik ten Hag endured a tough second season in charge of Manchester United, with the Red Devils finishing in eighth place in the Premier League table.
However, the former Ajax boss signed off the 2023-24 campaign on a high note after United’s 2-1 win over Manchester City in the FA Cup final in May.
United’s triumph in the FA Cup ensured the Red Devils a place in the Europa League, but Ten Hag’s men will miss out on Champions League football next season.
Ten Hag had secured United’s return to the Champions League after his debut season at Old Trafford following his move from Ajax in 2022.
However, United disappointed in the Champions League in the 2023-24 season and crashed out of the competition after finishing bottom of Group A.
According to The Guardian, Ten Hag is “not under pressure” to secure a top-four finish for United next season.
The newspaper added that United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has put his full focus on wanting ‘considerable progression of the team.’
It is believed that the Ineos chief, who bought a minority stake in United in 2023, is keen to see a ‘sustained excellence’ at the club going forward.
Ten Hag’s aim at Man Utd
The Guardian reports that Ten Hag is keen to build on his momentum and wants a ‘high [of] a position as possible’ for United next season.
It has been reported that Ratcliffe’s Ineos share the aforementioned sentiments of Ten Hag and are keen to see United succeed under its regime.
However, the newspaper added that there is an awareness that United might fail to finish in the top four next season due to the ‘club rebuild.’
There is a belief that ‘establishing a firm foundation’ is a priority for United and could allow the Red Devils to achieve ‘ongoing success’ in the future.
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