Sir Jim Ratcliffe says Erik ten Hag not the ‘central issue’ and tells fans not to expect improvement for three years!

Manchester United minority stake holder Sir Jim Ratcliffe has opened up on the clubs chaotic handling of Erik ten Hag’s future over the last month or so. Weeks before the end of the season, journalists started reporting that the Dutchman was going to be sacked.

On the morning of the Emirates FA Cup final against Manchester City, it was again reported as exclusive that Ten Hag would be sacked no matter the outcome of the result – which turned into more baloney from supposed journalists who clearly write lies for a living.

United beat City 2-1 at Wembley with Ten Hag winning his second trophy as United manager; having won the Carabao Cup during the 2022/23 season and now the FA Cup in the 2023/24 season, earning United UEFA Europa League football having finished eighth in the Premier League.

It has been reported that United’s hierarchy were set on sacking the Dutchman at the end of the season with speculation linking a number of managers to the Old Trafford job. In the end, United kept Ten Hag at the club and he could be signing a contract extension at the Theatre of Dreams.

Ratcliffe has decided to steady the ship with continuity which means some United players will have no future at the club, especially Jadon Sancho who has an ego bigger that the sun but the footballing ability of someone who only wants to be a baller once in a blue moon.

Ratcliffe has also given the suggestion that United’s issues on and off the pitch are much bigger than the manager, meaning he is a much smaller problem to solve, which solving the bigger issues at the club could solve. The Glazers have used United as a cash cow for their failing businesses.

Ratcliffe spoke to Bloomberg about issues at the club, confirming that the coach, Ten Hag was not the centra issue at the club; saying:

“The coach isn’t the central issue at Manchester United. It’s a sports club. It needs to be competitive, it needs a degree of intensity. But with a supportive side to it because you are dealing with players who are relatively young. It hasn’t had that type of environment historically.”

The 71-year-old also gave a bold statement about the clubs success – telling the supporters not to expect improvement for three years. Obviously, improvement will come but major changes will take time. United need a major overhaul to undo almost 20 years of bad management. He said:

“I’m not confident that we’ll solve all the problems in the first transfer window. We’re sort of a bit handicapped in that sense, so I think we’ll do a fairly good job,” he said. It will take two or three summer windows to get to a better place.”

Written by Paul