Sir Jim Ratcliffe leads Man United’s power brokers Sir Dave Brailsford and Dan Ashworth – the men who will decide whether to sack Erik ten Hag – into his Knightsbridge offices for exec meeting
- Man United chiefs arrived for a meeting in Knightsbridge on Tuesday
- The pressure on manager Erik ten Hag is increasing after their slow start
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Sir Jim Ratcliffe was seen leading Sir Dave Brailsford and Dan Ashworth to his office on Tuesday morning ahead of their much-anticipated board meeting.
United’s leadership team is meeting in London for a planned meeting, which has taken on added significance amid doubts over the future of Man United manager Erik ten Hag.
Ten Hag are under immense pressure after a dismal start to the season, leaving the 13-time Premier League champions in 14th place with just eight points from seven games – their worst ever start in the competition.
Two draws in the past week, including a 3-3 stalemate against Porto in the Europa League and a goalless clean sheet against Aston Villa yesterday, have prevented a series of defeats but done little to keep Ten Hag’s position stable.
Ratcliffe was seen leading Brailsford and Ashworth to his office in Knightsbridge for the meeting on Tuesday morning.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe (right) was seen arriving for a meeting with Man United chiefs on Tuesday
The United co-owner led fellow staff to his office in Knightsbridge ahead of the meeting
Sir Dave Brailsford (right) was among those spotted by ITV News arriving on Tuesday
Sporting director Dan Ashworth smiled for the cameras as he walked into the office
Minority owner Ratcliffe watched United’s goalless draw against Aston Villa with Brailsford director, CEO Omar Berrada, sporting director Ashworth and technical director Jason Wilcox on Sunday.
Discussions about Ten Hag’s future continued into Monday and will be back on the agenda when co-chairman Joel Glazer, chief operating officer Collette Roche and chief financial officer Roger Bell join them for Tuesday’s executive committee meeting.
United are wary of fueling speculation over Ten Hag’s future after Thomas Tuchel and Simone Inzaghi were linked with the job if he is sacked after two-and-a-half years in charge at Old Trafford.
Ratcliffe is known as an admirer of Tuchel and met the German coach in Monaco over the summer when Ten Hag’s future for the FA Cup final was in doubt.
Tuchel is still available, but it is unclear whether the obstacles that prevented him from replacing Ten Hag can now be overcome.
Money was said to be one of them. It is understood there has been no new contact between United and its representatives at this stage.
Erik ten Hag kept his job in the summer, but is now under huge pressure again after United’s dismal start to the season
Ratcliffe and United’s hierarchy were in attendance for the draw against Aston Villa
Tuchel’s possible appointment would see him return to the Premier League as a manager for the first time since leaving Chelsea in 2022.
The other obvious option for United is to appoint Ten Hag’s new assistant Ruud van Nistelrooy as interim boss.
The former United striker returned to Old Trafford as part of a summer shake-up of the coaching team after gaining managerial experience at PSV Eindhoven. Van Nistelrooy has gotten to know the players and staff and is highly respected within the club.
Otherwise, the landscape has changed little since June, when United decided keeping Ten Hag was the best course of action and gave him a one-year contract extension.
Meanwhile, plans for a new Old Trafford stadium took another step forward last month when the first images of a possible regeneration were revealed.