Exclusive: Ratcliffe stance on Ten Hag sack made crystal clear as Man Utd schedule talks with two manager targets

Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Manchester United’s co-owner, has made it clear to his colleagues that he wants Erik ten Hag to step down as manager, TEAMtalk can reveal.

The Red Devils have had a poor start to the season and are presently 14th in the Premier League table, putting enormous pressure on the Dutchman.

Many speculations about Ten Hag’s future are circulating, and with the club’s executive committee meeting in London on Tuesday, TEAMtalk can provide an exclusive look into the Manchester United hierarchy’s thought process.

And we hear that Ratcliffe has made it plain that he wants change, and sources suggest prospective Ten Hag successors are already being considered.

The British millionaire was ready to replace Ten Hag before the season began, but they were unable to reach an agreement on a suitable successor and instead gave him a one-year contract extension.

Ratcliffe, like in the summer, is willing to wait for the appropriate guy to replace Ten Hag and has delegated responsibility of the problem to Dan Ashworth, Jason Wilcox, and Omar Berrada. They are considering all alternatives, with two names emerging as the favourites so far.

Man Utd is looking closely at Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter, with discussions with the two likely soon.

Manchester United are interested in hiring two former Chelsea managers, according to reports.

Tuchel met with Manchester United over the summer, but did not believe the moment was right for him to take the post. However, the former Bayern Munich and Chelsea manager is open to having another chat and believes he is ready to return to management.

Tuchel guided Chelsea to the Champions League title in 2020/2021 before being controversially fired the following season.

The German coach is considered as the most prominent contender on Manchester United’s manager shortlist, is respected by the board, and will be approached again about taking over the reins.

Potter is also highly regarded at Manchester United as a manager who can develop with the club and bring out the best in some of the talent emerging from the ranks at Old Trafford.

According to TEAMtalk sources, he is highly interested in becoming Manchester United’s new manager. He was fired by Chelsea after less than seven months in command, but that has not deterred the Red Devils.

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe has also been discussed behind the scenes at Manchester United. However, the expense and difficulty of releasing him from his contract at St James’ Park are viewed as a stumbling obstacle.

Manchester United had dealt with Newcastle before, when they signed Dan Ashworth in the summer, for whom the Magpies requested a substantial compensation pay.

All indicators lead to Ten Hag being replaced, and it appears that he will depart Manchester United soon, with the club’s management planning to split company with the Dutchman.

Zirkzee might make an unexpected comeback to Italy, according to reports.

Meanwhile, some Manchester United players are facing the consequences of the club’s poor start to the season, with the future of summer signing Joshua Zirkzee potentially in doubt.

According to reports, the striker, who has only one goal in ten games for the Red Devils, might follow Romelu Lukaku’s lead and leave a Premier League side early to return to Italy. Lukaku played for Manchester United from 2017 to 2019, then spent one season at Chelsea before returning to Inter Milan on loan in 2022-23.

There is reportedly talk of an early’separation’ between Manchester United and Zirkzee, as the Netherlands striker has failed to find his feet since his £36.5 million move from Atalanta to Old Trafford.

According to a recent rumor, Ten Hag is convinced he will dodge the sack for the time being, and he is taking a getaway to replenish his batteries during the international break.

This is consistent with what we’ve been informed, which is that Manchester United aren’t intending on making a change anytime soon, but the fact is that Ten Hag will almost probably not be at the club for the season.

In Focus: Thomas Tuchel vs. Graham Potter

Tuchel was named Chelsea manager in January 2021 and went on to win the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, and FIFA Club World Cup at Stamford Bridge.

He coached Chelsea in precisely 100 games in all competitions, winning 63 percent of them. The Blues drew 19 of their 100 games, and he was on the losing side 18 times.

During his tenure, his team averaged 1.97 goals per game while conceding 1.05 goals.

Tuchel finished the Premier League with 122 points out of a possible 189, averaging 1.94 points per game.

Potter replaced Tuchel in the Chelsea bench in September 2022, although he failed to emulate his predecessor’s success.

The 49-year-old was in charge of only 31 games throughout all competitions until being fired by the club in April 2023.

He won 12, drew eight, and lost 11 of the games, giving him a 38.7 percent win percentage and a 35.4 percent loss rate.

Chelsea scored 33 goals with Potter, averaging 1.06 goals per game, but they had a somewhat superior defensive record, surrendering just one goal per game.

His Premier League results at Chelsea saw him score 28 points out of a possible 66, averaging 1.27 points per game.