Sudden twist in Erik ten Hag replacement saga after big Sir Jim Ratcliffe decision

After an inconsistent start to the 2024/25 season, Erik ten Hag is still under mounting pressure to keep his job at Manchester United. INEOS must decide whether to prioritise stability or move more aggressively for success.

It’s still hard to call what way it will go at Old Trafford. United got back to winning ways following the October international break, beating Brentford 2-1, but failed to build on that by drawing 1-1 with Fenerbahce on Thursday night.

One step forward, two steps backwards. It has felt that way since last season and Ten Hag knows that the team must improve to save his job.

According to GiveMeSport, Ten Hag has objectives but they don’t include winning a trophy or finishing in the top four. The Dutchman must avoid high-profile dramas (as seen with Jadon Sancho last season) and ensure United are competitive in all competitions.

That is how INEOS will supposedly judge progress under Ten Hag this season.

This explains why Ten Hag has not been sacked yet and why INEOS are showing patience with the manager. It’s something we can expect further down the line, too.

INEOS have maintained that they will back Ten Hag, so it doesn’t make sense when the media suggest – week after week – that his job is on the verge of being dropped. It is quite clear that Sir Jim Ratcliffe and co still want Ten Hag to succeed.

Terminating Ten Hag’s contract would incur significant costs, which doesn’t bode well when the club is trying to introduce cost-cutting strategies across the board. It would potentially cost upwards of £15m in compensation fees.

Erik ten Hag still looking over his shoulder

The speculation surrounding Ten Hag’s job won’t help as there are reports of meetings with other managerial candidates.

This is not a good look for INEOS. These meetings should be done in private if done at all.

We’ve seen reports of Xavi, Simone Inzaghi and Thomas Frank. And, I don’t think I’m alone in thinking that is a very underwhelming list for a club of United’s stature.

The only way Ten Hag can truly turn things around is by winning football matches. That said, Frank rumours emerged after United’s 2-1 win over Brentford which tells us a lot about how the media thinks about Ten Hag’s job security.