- Joel Glazer and Jim Ratcliffe visited Old Trafford amid scrutiny of manager Erik ten Hag’s future.
- Manchester United is currently 14th in the Premier League, with its lowest points total at this stage since 1989-90.
- Ratcliffe, who holds a minority stake, has restructured football operations but declined to express full support for Ten Hag.
- Ten Hag is the fifth permanent manager since Ferguson retired, facing ongoing questions following a poor start to the season.
- Despite reassurances from club executives, Ratcliffe emphasized that decisions regarding the management team are ultimately not his responsibility.
Manchester United co-owners Joel Glazer and Jim Ratcliffe visited Old Trafford on Monday amid ongoing scrutiny of manager Erik ten Hag’s position. Ratcliffe attended the team’s goalless draw against Aston Villa on Sunday, marking a disappointing start to the season for the 20-time English champions, who currently sit 14th in the Premier League standings, with just eight points—its lowest return at this stage since the 1989-90 season.
Glazer’s appearance in Manchester was notably rare since his late father, Malcolm Glazer, purchased the club in 2005. A video of their arrival at Old Trafford circulated on social media, with the club stating that the visit had been pre-planned for meetings in Manchester and London throughout the week. Glazer is also expected to attend a quarterly Fans Advisory Board meeting.
British billionaire Ratcliffe, who acquired a minority 27.7% stake in the club in February, has been active in reshaping United’s football operations. However, he refrained from publicly backing Ten Hag when questioned about the manager’s future on Friday. Ten Hag’s position has come under fire following three defeats in the first seven league matches of the season.
Despite previous assurances of support from new CEO Omar Berrada and sporting director Dan Ashworth, Ratcliffe’s hesitance to commit to Ten Hag was evident. When asked if he had confidence in the manager, he stated, “I don’t want to answer that question. I like Erik. I think he’s a very good coach, but at the end of the day, it’s not my call; it’s the management team that’s running Manchester United that has to decide how we best run the team in many different respects.”
Ten Hag, the club’s fifth permanent manager since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013, faced speculation about his future at the end of last season after leading the club to its worst league performance in 34 years. He retained his position after winning the FA Cup and passing a comprehensive end-of-year review.
