If Sir Jim Ratcliffe invested £1.25 billion in Manchester United to enjoy the thrill and excitement of being at one of the world's biggest football clubs, then he might want his money back. Except for the case where the British billionaire also enjoyed sacking a coach.
After a 0-0 draw with Aston Villa, Man United had their worst start in the club's Premier League era, with 8 points from 7 matches. We have to go back to 1989 in the old First Division to find a more difficult start, when Sir Alex Ferguson's side had just seven points. There will be no joy for Ratcliffe to watch from the stands, only the suffering of what to do with his poor coach.
The Red Devils have gone winless in five Premier League games and have scored just five goals. Only Southampton (4) have scored fewer and they also suffered humiliating defeats of 0-3 at home to Liverpool and Tottenham.
The draw at Villa Park could help Ten Hag keep his current job. However, if Ratcliffe decides to be more patient, the reality is that they will only delay the inevitable. Ten Hag simply couldn't do enough and the result and performance were the clearest proof of that.
Forwards Ten Hag brought in were not big enough to play for Man United. The Dutch strategist cannot escape responsibility when he himself participated in the signing of Rasmus Hojlund, Antony and Joshua Zirkzee.
Ratcliffe decided not to sack Ten Hag at the end of last season after Man United surprisingly beat Man City to win the FA Cup. Ten Hag has just led the "Red Devils" to their worst Premier League finish of 8th and the club has publicly spoken to successors, including Mauricio Pochettino, Thomas Tuchel, Roberto De Zerbi and Kieran McKenna. Gareth Southgate is also being considered.
But Ten Hag survived the two-week wait with the promise that things would start to improve. However, in the first week of October, Man United were struggling in 14th place in the Premier League with only 2 wins against Fulham and Southampton.
Financial considerations have left the Man United board in a dilemma over Ten Hag's future. They announced an annual loss of £113m last month. However, at some point, sports problems will come to light, especially as the possibility of qualifying for next season's Champions League becomes increasingly remote.
Ratcliffe and the INEOS team will have a pre-planned board meeting at Man United on Tuesday. Therefore, Ten Hag's position will certainly be an issue for discussion. But at this stage, the most likely outcome is that Ten Hag will continue in the hope that results improve.
The lack of a replacement is another problem in Ten Hag's favor at the moment. Tuchel, Southgate and Graham Potter all have their own limitations. But Ratcliffe has become the richest man in the UK by making big decisions and investing intelligently. He knows when to take risks and when to sit still.
If he thinks continuing to use Ten Hag is a smart choice at the moment, games like Villa Park will not help to reinforce that view. Man United are drifting, playing boring football and not creating any threat.
So Ten Hag may survive for now, but Ratcliffe's patience will not last forever.
