Manchester United boss Sir Jim Ratcliffe might look at Arsenal and see his perfect Erik ten Hag plan

The task for Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his new football leadership team at Manchester United is to strip away the noise, measure the misfortune and assess whether Erik ten Hag remains the man to lead them into a new era.

That was certainly the view of Ratcliffe and Sir Dave Brailsford in their early discussions about investment in Manchester United. Even as that deal reached the final stages towards the end of 2023 they remained confident they had the right manager, just not the right structure.

Now, with the end of the season in sight, the structure is coming together, but their biggest decision has become about the man who will always be the figurehead of any football club. Ten Hag is in danger of overseeing United's worst-ever Premier League season and falling short of European qualification for next season.

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For most United managers, that is unsurvivable. Certainly, the bosses who have come before Ten Hag will be looking at the run of results this season and wondering why they lost their jobs. Ten Hag does have some mitigation, however, in terms of a chronic and unrelenting injury crisis, and he also has credit in the bank. That's why Ratcliffe was so sure he had the right man in the first place.

Last season Ten Hag ended United's six-year trophy drought, returned them to the Champions League and cracked the whip over a squad that needed an injection of discipline. This season, almost everything has fallen apart. His record in the transfer market has become patchy and his tactical failings have been exposed.

Injuries are an issue, but the same weaknesses visible in United in the