Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag must drop his saviour vs Chelsea to impress Sir Jim Ratcliffe

COMMENT: When Manchester United visits Chelsea on Thursday, Erik ten Hag needs to emulate Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

Following his purchase of a 27.7% stake in Manchester United, Sir Jim Ratcliffe has reiterated his intention to be merciless in bringing about change within the team. If Erik ten Hag hopes to stay manager during Ratcliffe’s first full season as the team’s football kingpin, he has to start taking some serious decisions.

This season, Scott McTominay has proven to be one of the Premier League’s most productive impact substitutes.

With four goals from the bench, the 27-year-old has more than any other player. In all competitions, he has nine goals, many of which have prevented Ten Hag from suffering additional setbacks.

At the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday, United’s 1-1 draw with Brentford was a terrible display of poor management.

Unfortunately, McTominay keeps adding to the issue, even though Carrington Academy graduates will always be rightfully celebrated.

When the Scotland international enters the box late and provides a target for crosses to either post, he is at his most dangerous.

However, in the 22 starts he has made for United this season, it has become evident that Ten Hag requires a higher level of technical skill than what McTominay offers.

This summer, McTominay is someone to hold onto. Finding a viable bench option who can contribute as much as he can toward the end of games would be challenging for United.

Ten Hag’s team was lucky to escape a crushing loss at Brentford, but the draw has left them just outside of the Champions League qualifying spots, even if they finish in the top five.

That performance, among the worst of the Sir Alex Ferguson era, must be seen by Ten Hag as the pivotal moment. McTominay cannot start on Thursday’s match against Chelsea. Mason Mount is the rightful owner of his spot.

Mount’s return to west London was robbed of a memorable moment by United’s unexpected but characteristic collapse. However, his impressive goal in the 96th minute could signal his arrival.

Mason Mount deserves a chance at Man Utd. (Image: Getty)

Since joining Old Trafford in a £60 million deal to leave Chelsea last summer, the 25-year-old has had a challenging start to life there. He has only made 14 appearances overall, with seven starts due to injuries.

But Ten Hag needs to make use of his star summer acquisition in the final stretch now that he’s fully recovered. There’s no better place to begin than his former haunt.

It has been demonstrated that Kobbie Mainoo can play with two more experienced players as the lone defensive midfielder. Ten Hag is getting close to a pivotal moment where he must fully commit to achieving success.

It is failure if it is. Casemiro has also recovered from his injury. However, Mainoo, Mount, and Fernandes are among his current team members who have the ability and capability to put United back in the game.