Sir Jim Ratcliffe hopes to be in charge of Man Utd WITHIN DAYS as pressure mounts on Erik ten Hag after Copenhagen loss
A NEW dawn at Old Trafford under the guidance of Sir Jim Ratcliffe could be just days away.
With the British billionaire reportedly nearing taking over a 25 per cent stake in the club, he is also said to be planning on taking over football operations as a part of the £1.4 billion deal.
And it seems that amidst a string of poor results under manager Erik ten Hag, Ratcliffe isn’t planning on wasting any more time to kickstart his revolution.
Following United’s controversial 4-3 loss to Copenhagen in the Champions League, a report has emerged that the 71-year-old INEOS boss is aiming to take on his new role starting Monday, as per Alan Nixon.
What’s more, Nixon added that INEOS director of sports Sir Dave Brailsford will be leading Ratcliffe’s team as they look to tackle the faltering giant, via UtdPlug.
As such, the future of Ten Hag will lie in the hands of Brailsford, while the position of football director John Murtough could also come under scrutiny.
Brailsford’s involvement in Racliffe’s reboot of the club has been rumoured for some time.
He has previously led Team GB’s cycling team to eighteen golds at the Olympics in Athens, Beijing, and London.
The 60-year-old is also credited as having played a key role in the incredible success of the Team Sky/INEOS Grenadiers cycling team which won the Tour de France six times since assuming the role of team principal.
Ten Hag has faced heavy criticism throughout this season, with United eighth in the Premier League having won just six of their eleven games.
The reigning Carabao Cup champs were also recently dumped out of the competition in the Round of 16 by Newcastle United who waltzed to a 3-0 win at Old Trafford.
And while the pressure was somewhat eased last weekend with United defeating Fulham 1-0 at Craven Cottage, their loss to Copenhagen on Wednesday has once again turned up the temperature on the Dutchman’s seat.
Whether or not this loss is enough to convince Ratcliffe and Brailsford to consider a replacement in the near future remains to be seen.
As recently as Saturday, Ten Hag’s position was not considered at risk by Ratcliffe, according to The Mirror.
Rather, Ratcliffe’s main focus for change was the club’s questionable transfer business in recent years.
This could include the big money shelled out on the likes of Jadon Sancho and Antony whose United careers look in danger at best.
As for the decision-makers, along with Murtogh, United’s chief executive officer Richard Arnold’s days with the team could also be numbered, as per The Manchester Evening News.