Manchester United fans are still split on Sir Jim Ratcliffe after a less-than-convincing first year of the Ineos reign.
The 2024-25 season is entering its final stretch and this has been one to forget for Manchester United fans.
Ruben Amorim’s side sit 14th in the Premier League table with the Europa League representing the last shot at success this season.
United drew 1-1 with Arsenal on Sunday with Amorim witnessing some positive signs, but fans need to see much more.
The product on the pitch hasn’t been good enough and Ineos haven’t exactly brought much joy off the pitch either.
Ineos announced new redundancies in February whilst Dan Ashworth’s abrupt departure remains a questionable move.
Photo by Manchester United/Manchester United via Getty Images
Photo by Manchester United/Manchester United via Getty Images
Sir Jim Ratcliffe on Erik ten Hag
Cutting costs by making staff redundant whilst wasting millions on deals like the Ashworth move will always spark doubts.
Ineos also decided to keep Erik ten Hag over the summer, allowing him to stay at Old Trafford after winning the FA Cup.
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United then sacked Ten Hag in October, again bringing the Ineos decision-making into question.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has now commented on Ten Hag’s reign whilst speaking to Gary Neville on The Overlap.
Ratcliffe used just one word to describe United’s performances under Ten Hag – ‘erratic’.
Ratcliffe felt that word sum United up best under Ten Hag, highlighting that United would flop in Premier League games but then go and win the FA Cup against Manchester City.
“Obviously, under Erik, it was erratic – I think is the best word I’d use,” said Ratcliffe.
“We won the FA Cup against Manchester City, they all turned up and they played like they were in a cup final and at other times, at Crystal Palace or wherever, they didn’t show up,” he added.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe on sacking Erik ten Hag
Ratcliffe went on to discuss Ten Hag’s departure with Neville asking whether he regretted keeping him in the job.
The Ineos chief noted that he had difficulties figuring out whether United’s ‘erratic’ displays were down to Ten Hag or because of the instability within the club.
Ratcliffe gave Ten Hag the benefit of the doubt but accepts that he made a mistake.
Ratcliffe feels that there were ‘mitigating circumstances’ in terms of keeping Ten Hag, but accepts fault for his ‘error’.
“It was quite difficult to see what environment Erik was working in,” said Ratcliffe.
“In other words, was the erratic performance a function of Erik or was it a function of the organisation? And we couldn’t really get to the bottom of answering that question with certainty, I suppose, so we gave Erik the benefit of the doubt.
“It was the wrong decision. We made the wrong decision, it was an error. I suppose in that sense, I regret it, but I think there were some mitigating circumstances in having made that decision, but at the end of the day, it was the wrong decision, so hands up – mea culpa on that one,” he added.
Ten Hag was recently eyed by Feyenoord but has yet to return to management since his United exit and may now only make a comeback at the end of the season.