Man Utd owner Ratcliffe ‘sets five strict new rules’ with Ten Hag replacement ‘unable to use own style’

Sir Jim Ratcliffe will ‘set five strict new rules’ for the ‘new manager’ to adhere to, some of which might ‘put off’ Erik ten Hag’s successor, according to reports.

Ten Hag was reportedly set to be sacked after the FA Cup final but is still in the job after surprisingly masterminding a victory over rivals Manchester City.

New Man Utd manager to be ‘put off’ by Ratcliffe ‘rules’

It is now unclear whether or not Manchester United co-owner Ratcliffe will relieve the Dutchman of his duties, though it has been reported that he is eager to appoint England manager Gareth Southgate.

Thomas Tuchel is also believed to be in the running after leaving Bayern Munich, while some reports are linking ex-Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino with the job.

Things are massively up in the air but some journalists who said Ten Hag would be sacked before the FA Cup victory are standing firm, with a report from The Sun stating that ‘bumbling’ United chiefs are yet to decide on a replacement, with a ‘new manager’ poised to come in.

The main focus of the report is on Ratcliffe and the ‘five strict new rules’ that he will be putting in place for Ten Hag’s replacement to adhere to.

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These rules are likely to ‘put off’ the next manager as they ‘will not be able to use their own style of play’ – which is rule three of five.

Indeed, the on-pitch philosophy will be decided by technical director Jason Wilcox, who is expected to demand a possession-based style of football.

It is claimed that Ratcliffe and his ‘close aides’ believe these five rules ‘will take the club forward’.

Rule one is that Ratcliffe does not want new signings to be over the age of 25, with ‘No Galacticos’ coming in as the second rule Ten Hag’s replacement must adhere to – even though they won’t have a massive say on the players being targeted.

This is because rule four states that the ‘manager is to be asked what position he wants to sign, not what player’, with ‘Ineos to send a list of three signings per position for the manager to choose from’.

The report states:

‘New co-owner Ratcliffe wants the new manager to agree to a recruitment model based on bringing in five new players under the age of 25 this summer to build a fitter, stronger and faster team.

The Ineos chief wants to find gems that will shine for United in the future rather than splashing cash on Galacticos.

Ratcliffe made his intentions clear about staying clear of top-dollar auctions by rejecting any chance of bidding for Kylian Mbappe when the France World Cup winner announced he was leaving Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season.

Another directive from the top will see the manager only asked what positions he would like to see United recruit in.

The new Old Trafford chiefs will then find three candidates for that role who fit in with the model of player and team they want.

The manager will then have the pick of one of those three.’

Ten Hag is currently on holiday after winning his second trophy in two years as Man Utd manager.

More: Man Utd news | Who will be next Man Utd manager? | Erik ten Hag news