Man United’s decision-makers scheduled to meet within 48 hours of Aston Villa tie
Erik ten Hag is currently under pressure following a disappointing start to the new season
Manchester United’s top decision-makers are set to convene in London within 48 hours of Sunday’s Premier League match away at Aston Villa, as pressure mounts on manager Erik ten Hag, according to The Athletic.
The club’s executive committee, including part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Sir Dave Brailsford, is scheduled to meet on Tuesday.
Recent appointees, such as chief executive Omar Berrada, sporting director Dan Ashworth, and technical director Jason Wilcox, will also attend. Co-chairman Joel Glazer is flying in from the United States for the meeting.
In addition, the executives will stop in Manchester for further discussions.
The committee also includes the club’s chief financial officer Roger Bell and chief operating officer Collette Roche. Since INEOS’s investment in the club, the executives have aimed to meet monthly.
While it is uncertain if the first team’s performance will be officially on the agenda for Tuesday’s meeting, Ten Hag’s future may naturally come under review, given United’s recent struggles.
Ratcliffe, one of the club’s part-owners, is expected to be at Villa Park on Sunday to watch Aston Villa take on United in person.
His last live viewing of United came during their crushing 3-0 defeat to Liverpool.
The final decision on Ten Hag’s future will be made by a three-person committee, consisting of Ratcliffe, co-chairman Joel Glazer, and INEOS’s director of sport Dave Brailsford.
Their assessment will be based on recommendations from those working closely with the squad, notably Berrada, Ashworth, and Wilcox.
However, with United currently sitting 12th in the Premier League, having scored only five goals, and struggling in the Europa League, Ten Hag will need an improved performance against Aston Villa to alleviate concerns from both the club’s hierarchy and supporters.
There was serious consideration given to replacing Ten Hag at the end of last season.
The club held discussions with potential replacements during a review process before deciding to back the Dutchman, especially following United’s surprising FA Cup victory against Manchester City.
United then triggered a contract extension for Ten Hag, keeping him under contract until the end of the 2025-26 season.
Additionally, United supported Ten Hag in the transfer market, signing his former Ajax defenders Noussair Mazraoui and Matthijs de Ligt from Bayern Munich, along with Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna, Manuel Ugarte from Paris Saint-Germain, and Leny Yoro from Lille.
Ten Hag also revamped his backroom staff, bringing in Ruud van Nistelrooy, Rene Hake, and Andreas Georgson.
Despite public backing from Berrada and Ashworth during a media briefing on September 1, the team’s form has continued to falter.
United have won just two of their last seven matches, with devastating 3-0 home losses to both Liverpool and Tottenham, further highlighting persistent issues within the squad.
Meanwhile, Ratcliffe has been enjoying success in another area of his sporting ventures.
His INEOS Britannia team has reached the America’s Cup final for the first time in 60 years.
Skippered by Ben Ainslie, the team defeated Italy’s Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli to secure their place in the finals.
Ratcliffe was on hand to celebrate the victory from a tracking boat and was seen raising the Louis Vuitton Cup alongside Ainslie after the decisive race.
The most recent Manchester United executive meeting took place last month in Barcelona, coinciding with the first stage of the America’s Cup, where Joel and Avram Glazer were also in attendance.
Asked about Ten Hag’s future at the event by BBC Sport, Ratcliffe said: “I like Erik.
“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 have to decide how we best run the team in many different respects,” added Ratcliffe.
“But that team that’s running Manchester United has only been together since June or July.
“They weren’t there in January, February, March or April – [CEO] Omar [Berrada], [Sporting Director] Dan Ashworth – they only arrived in July
“They’ve only been there…you can count it in weeks almost – they’ve not been there a long time so they need to take stock and make some sensible decisions.
“Our objective is very clear – we want to take Manchester United back to where it should be, and it’s not there yet, obviously – that’s very clear.”
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