After a humiliating defeat to Tottenham and a near defeat at FC Porto, Man United are in a mess right now. They have almost been eliminated from any active competition in the Premier League. In the Europa League, the "Red Devils" have also failed to show the ability of a championship candidate.
If we continue to rely solely on the FA Cup or League Cup to save the season, that is not in line with INEOS's strategy and Sir Jim Ratcliffe's personal. Therefore, the M.U boss will convene a meeting of the club's board of directors early next week to consider important issues, most notably the future of Erik ten Hag.
According to The Athletic, the meeting is scheduled to take place next Tuesday (October 8, UK time) in London with the participation of Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Sir Dave Brailsford, CEO Omar Berrada, Sporting Director Dan Ashworth and Technical Director Jason Wilcox. Man United Co-Chairman Joel Glazer also flew from the US to attend.
It is likely that this meeting will be attended by Roger Bell - CFO and Collette Roche - CEO of finance. Since INEOS took over Manchester United, these two figures have been mobilized to meet once a month.
Before chairing the club's board meeting, Sir Jim Ratcliffe will personally attend Sunday's big game at Villa Park. The last time Britain's richest man attended in person, Man United were beaten 3-0 by Liverpool at Old Trafford.
Any decision on Erik ten Hag's future will need to be agreed upon by Joel Glazer, Jim Ratcliffe and Dave Brailsford, with Berrada, Ashworth and Wilcox, the three underlings, making recommendations after their assessment and analysis.
Although the content of the meeting is unpredictable, one thing that will definitely change is the "Red Devils" performance. They have failed to win both of their opening matches in the Europa League. In the main arena, the Premier League, Man United is currently ranked 12th after 6 rounds. If they continue to lose to Aston Villa this weekend, there is a high possibility that Ten Hag will be fired.
This is not the first time the M.U board has considered the Dutch strategist's future. The last time they hesitated was before the FA Cup final last season. After Man United unexpectedly defeated Man City at Wembley, the 54-year-old coach was extended until the summer of 2026. Next, a series of transfer targets listed by Ten Hag, from players to coaches, were brought to Old Trafford as proof of the board's trust in him.
"I like Erik ten Hag, he is a good coach but in the end, it (the future) is not my decision alone.
"The management team that runs Man United will make the decisions. They have to have options to make the club work well in many aspects. They (Ashworth and Berrada) need to evaluate and make reasonable moves" - Sir Jim Ratcliffe told BBC Sport.
