Ratcliffe invested £1.3billion to secure a 27.7% share in the Red Devils early in 2024, effectively taking over their football operations. Building on this, he made several vital executive appointments, notably attracting Omar Berrada from Manchester City to fill the CEO position, appointing Jason Wilcox as technical director, and bringing in Dan Ashworth, formerly of Newcastle, as United’s sporting director.
Those moves were made to lighten Ten Hag’s load, who, for his initial two seasons at Old Trafford, operated in tandem with then-football director John Murtough concerning recruitment. Reports surfaced in April indicating the Dutch manager’s influence on player signings would diminish if he continued to be at the helm
After conducting interviews for potential new managers, Ratcliffe eventually chose to maintain faith in Ten Hag, awarding him a one-year contract extension. However, this affirmation came with adjustments to Ten Hag’s responsibilities, a shift Ratcliffe has clarified, noting the manager’s role is now more centred around footballing matters.
“Erik is a good guy and had been doing his best, but doing too much,” Ratcliffe told the Times. “He was trying to sort out the squad and fix leaks in the roof at the same time.”
Ratcliffe also pointed out the significant ‘vacuum’ at Manchester United following the exits of Sir Alex Ferguson and managing director David Gill in 2013.
“Up until that point, those two had been managing the sports side of the club and the Glazer family [the club’s majority owners] had managed the commercial side very well. And then all of a sudden there’s this vacuum,” Ratcliffe added.
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