Ten Hag sack: Man Utd boss told failure to hit mind-boggling target would see Ratcliffe swing the axe

According to one observer, Erik ten Hag might lose his job at Manchester United if he doesn’t accomplish one particular goal this season.

After Ten Hag’s debut season at Old Trafford, things appeared promising as Manchester United won the League Cup for the first time since 2017 and qualified for the Champions League.

Last season, a number of the Dutchman’s marquee additions also delivered excellent performances. In the back, Lisandro Martinez disproved the doubters, Christian Eriksen appeared like a brilliant free-agent signing, and Casemiro set an excellent example in the engine room.

But this term, United’s circumstances have deteriorated on many fronts, and Ten Hag doesn’t appear to be able to stop the downward spiral.

Mason Mount and Rasmus Hojlund are two of his many recent additions who haven’t yet had an effect. United has had terrible luck in front of goal and was humiliated in the Champions League after finishing last in their group.

Only Burnley (20) and Sheffield United (15) have scored fewer goals in the league this season than United’s 22 goals, as all of the club’s forwards are playing poorly.

The campaign has been gloomy from the beginning to the end, and since there will soon be significant changes, rumors about the manager’s job will probably persist.

On Christmas Eve, it was revealed that Sir Jim Ratcliffe had acquired a 25 percent share in Manchester United. The Premier League has not yet ratified the partial takeover, but once it is, Ratcliffe will be in complete charge of all sporting affairs at United.

The rumor that Ten Hag would lose his job during the season has subsided. Lee Sharpe, a former United winger, claims that Ten Hag might lose his job if he cannot lead his team to a top six finish.

During his eight years with the Red Devils, Sharpe won three Premier League titles, and his assertion that United should have been content to just place in the top six is concerning.

Ten Hag could be defeated by the worst-ever Prem finish.
Sharpe (as quoted by the Mirror) started, “I don’t think there would be any reason to sack Erik ten Hag before the end of the season.” As to the list of candidates to succeed him, to be honest, I’m not sure it’s very strong.

It’s a little early to call it quits at this point, in my opinion, as he’s also had some difficulties dealing with off-field problems and injuries.

But I believe that they should at least finish in the top six, and if they do not, the manager may face significant pressure at the end of the season. It is really hard to predict where they will end up.

“They’re so frustrating and inconsistent right now; one game they play brilliantly and you think they’ve turned the corner, and the next game they can’t score and they lose.”

In the Premier League’s history, Manchester United has only once placed outside of the top six. The manager in charge of the disastrous 2013–14 campaign was David Moyes.

Even in their worst seasons, United managed to finish no worse than sixth under managers like Louis van Gaal, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and Ralf Rangnick.

With United presently in eighth place, a worst-ever Premier League result would force Ratcliffe and INEOS CEO Sir Dave Brailsford to make a significant choice by the summer.