Erik ten Hag needs to convince Sir Jim Ratcliffe he is still right for Manchester United

The ownership shift at Man Utd may present the ideal opportunity for a management transition as well.

Changes at Manchester United are obviously needed, but it’s hard to say how much.

Erik ten Hag’s competence as manager has been further called into question by recent results, but it is also evident that the issues go far deeper than him. Despite all of his shortcomings, it is difficult to see any manager succeeding as long as the team’s athletic hierarchy is in place. All it takes to see that there is no more rational approach is to consider the range of past permanent managers.

If necessary, United has the ability to savagely tear everything apart once more. It is possible to write off past acquisitions, alter strategies, and revert to a lottery-style approach for United in the hopes that the next appointment will eventually turn things around.

It’s not impossible, but the odds are not good. The wisest course of action is still to address the ingrained issues that the club is still facing as taking a high-risk, high-reward approach is almost always doomed to fail.

The good news is that they ought to be in the vicinity. An impending investment in the club by Sir Jim Ratcliffe is expected to bring discussions about a reassessment of the sporting hierarchy.

As part of significant adjustments to the athletic hierarchy, Richard Arnold is scheduled to depart by the end of the year, and United also intends to appoint a new football director in lieu of John Murtough.

Other departmental policies have not impressed the Ineos delegation, and it is thought that additional changes are planned behind the scenes at United.

After United’s dismal loss to Newcastle last weekend, it appears like they may finally be making the long-overdue adjustments needed to go back to where they need to be. However, the jury is still very much out on Ten Hag.

If ever there was a time for managerial change, then that would come with a change of ownership and the prospect of a new perspective and opinion of his role from above.

Ratcliffe has already signalled his ruthless intention to overhaul the club and his work will be undermined unless he has a manager who matches his ambition and who he wants to work closely with to achieve those goals.

Although Ten Hag’s employment was not seen to be in danger before, United’s patchy season opener begs doubts about Ten Hag’s aptitude for the position.

By the time Ratcliffe’s contract is finalized, United might already be eliminated from the Champions League, and their sole chance of making it back the next year may rest on restoring the consistency that has been lacking during the entire campaign.

The Dutchman has been praised for his commanding leadership style, but there are concerns over whether it has gone too far in the wake of his public spat with Jadon Sancho.