ERIK TEN HAG is confident he will be given time to present his vision for the future to Manchester United’s new regime.
The Dutch boss expects to get the chance to impress incoming investor Jim Ratcliffe to outline how he plans to overhaul the squad at United in the summer – which is likely to involve another big clear out.
Ten Hag is feeling the heat at Old Trafford after a dismal Champions League campaign which saw them finish bottom of the group.
And things could get worse if his team lose badly again at bitter rivals Liverpool on Sunday, where they lost 7-0 last year.
SunSport revealed yesterday that ex-Chelsea boss Graham Potter has been contacted by Ratcliffe and is widely admired by his Ineos team.
Their £1.25bn investment into the club is due to be confirmed shortly but even then it could take up to six weeks to be fully rubber-stamped and agreed with the current Glazer ownership.
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And SunSport understands Ten Hag’s first meetings would almost certainly be with director of sport Dave Brailsford – rather than Ratcliffe himself.
Any head-to-heads with the main man would come further down the line — if he is still the manager.
Despite his optimism, the 53-year-old will be aware results need to improve if the new men are to give him their trust.
For now, club sources say they remain firmly behind the current boss – despite a worrying first half of the season which has seen them lose half of their 24 games.
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The likes of Anthony Martial, who is out of contract in the summer, Raphael Varane, Jadon Sancho, Donny van de Beek, Casemiro and Tyrell Malacia are among players it is believed Ten Hag would be willing to offload to start the overhaul of the squad.
The lengthy injury list is seen as a big factor behind the poor results – while the ongoing takeover talk has also been a distraction.
Off-field problems involving Mason Greenwood, Antony and Jadon Sancho have not helped either.
Even so, it has been a nightmare week for ten Hag with a 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth followed by another loss to Bayern Munich.
That meant they recorded their worst-ever group stage performance in the Champions League and failed to even salvage a Europa League spot.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
