Ten Hag sack? Ratcliffe faith in Man Utd boss has ‘diminished’ as INEOS ‘approach’ manager

Jean-Claude Blanc has been ‘inundated with calls from agents’ pushing their clients to Man Utd amid calls for Erik ten Hag to be sacked, according to reports.

The Red Devils had a positive first season under Ten Hag with the Dutchman leading the club to an FA Cup final, League Cup silverware and a top-four finish in the Premier League.

However, his second season has been a nightmare so far with Man Utd out of the Champions League and League Cup, while they are drifting in the Premier League.

Their 2-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest in their last Premier League match saw them drop down to eighth position in the standings and they are now closer in points to Fulham in 13th than Arsenal in fourth.

Off-field issues with Mason Greenwood, Jadon Sancho and Antony have also not helped, while Man Utd have been hit by a significant injury list this term.

Some supporters have gradually lost patience with Ten Hag over the course of the season and his credit in the bank from the last campaign is being eroded.

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There have been various rumours that his future could be up in the air now Man Utd have announced Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s deal to buy a 25 per cent stake in the club.

It was announced on Christmas Eve, with reports claiming it should take four to six weeks for regulatory approval before Ratcliffe can start making changes.

It’s understood that Ratcliffe will take control of football operations from the Glazers with INEOS director of sport Sir Dave Brailsford and executive Blanc expected to join the Man Utd board once the investment has been ratified.

And now ESPN claim INEOS’ ‘faith in Ten Hag’ has ‘diminished over the course of negotiations with the Glazers’ after they were ‘initially seen as bullish about the former Ajax boss in October’.

Ten Hag ‘will sit down with Ratcliffe and his team for the first time at Carrington on Wednesday in a position of weakness’ with the Dutchman ‘reluctant to give up any power in the new structure, especially his major role in the identification of transfer targets‘.

The Man Utd boss has signed many players he has previously worked with and ESPN add that there are ‘particular questions about Antony’ with INEOS worried that a ‘mediocre player [was] signed for big money and handed a long deal on massive wages’.

ESPN continue:

‘Sources have told ESPN that Ineos’ preference is to keep Ten Hag until at least the end of the season, although there’s an acceptance that more poor results may force it to act sooner. Graham Potter, who was approached by Ineos to take over at its French club OGC Nice in the summer, has been informally sounded out about his plans for the future, and Blanc has been inundated with calls from agents pushing the claims of their clients.’