From Ten Hag’s future to a leaking roof: Ratcliffe’s Manchester United in-tray
The manager’s future
Erik ten Hag’s team are treading water at precisely the wrong moment: as Sir Jim Ratcliffe takes charge of Manchester United’s sporting department before making sweeping changes in the posts that will directly affect the manager. Richard Arnold has left despite officially staying until the end of the year and into his role may come Jean-Claude Blanc, the CEO of Ratcliffe’s Ineos Sport, as the man Ten Hag reports to. Ten Hag’s line manager may change too, as Ratcliffe considers whether a new football director is required, a position held by John Murtough. Ten Hag may have a first clue of his status in Ratcliffe’s new empire if he is sounded out for his view of a prime factor in his ability to coach and manage the side to success: United’s transfer policy. This leads us to Murtough …
Will Murtough survive?
The football director has no plans to depart but whether he remains in situ may be a matter for Ratcliffe. Some inside the club believe Murtough will either be moved sideways or follow Arnold through the exit door. Ratcliffe might have signalled his assessment of him when, during a March tour of the club, he questioned the signing of a 30-year-old Casemiro on a four‑year deal worth about £350,000 a week. Murtough, whose football department has a transfer veto, and Ten Hag, who has the same, were responsible for the Brazilian’s signing. The word is that Murtough, present when Ratcliffe raised this, was hardly impressed. Particularly as Nice, the French club owned by Ratcliffe, recruited Aaron Ramsey, Kasper Schmeichel and Ross Barkley as part of the nine signings in the same summer Casemiro joined United. Schmeichel was 35 and signed a three-year contract in a £1m transfer from Leicester; Ramsey,
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