Ratcliffe’s three Man Utd ‘priority’ positions revealed as sale of £60m star could force change
According to reports, Sir Jim Ratcliffe has identified three ‘priority positions’ for Manchester United to improve during this summer’s transfer window.
Ratcliffe‘s purchase of a minority stake of 27.7% in Man Utd was recently completed and major changes are being made at Old Trafford as he has now taken control of football matters at the club.
Omar Berrada has been brought in as Man Utd‘s new chief executive and they are also targeting Newcastle chief Dan Ashworth for the director of football role.
These alterations are being made as Ratcliffe attempts to improve Man Utd’s recruitment model with their recent record in the transfer market being pretty poor.
Man Utd’s form picked up during the early weeks of 2024 but their 2-1 defeat to Fulham on Saturday leaves them eight points adrift of fourth-placed Aston Villa.
Rasmus Hojlund’s injury has left Man Utd short of options in attack. When asked by reporters on the decision to spend £60m on Mason Mount instead of a new striker, Ten Hag answered: “You are a football manager?
“If it was that easy… I already said (about) the money. First of all, striker options are the most difficult. Especially on our level. We had two strikers.
“I get that for Martial, but he has done for us last season great things. He is also on high payment in this club. So when you bring another one in, you strike him out. So there are all arguments not to do it.
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“Then there is Marcus Rashford, who can play very good from front position. So actually we had three strikers in our squad to fill in.”
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A report from The Telegraph claims ‘Ratcliffe’s summer revamp at Manchester United is to see them target a striker and defenders for the right side of their defence’ but the potential exit of £60m signing Casemiro could alter their plans. They explain.
‘United are in the market for a right-back and a right-sided centre-back to bolster their backline. Aaron Wan-Bissaka has one season left on his contract and has shared right-back duties with Diogo Dalot this season. Dalot has also covered on the other flank after Luke Shaw’s injury.
‘At centre-back, Raphael Varane has attracted interest from Saudi Arabia and has a year left on his contract, as has Victor Lindelof. Harry Maguire’s terms also expire in 2025, albeit with an option for an extra year, while Jonny Evans was signed for cover this season.
‘While the striker, right-back and centre-back positions have been the priority, they could also be in the market for a midfielder depending on the future of Casemiro. The Brazil international has also attracted interest from the Saudi Pro League and his departure would mean a gap in the squad that needs filling.’
Erik ten Hag discovers the cold truth of Manchester United’s new era
The positivity at Manchester United lasted six days. Or the positive goal difference, anyway. After beating Luton, United had a plus sign in the appropriate column for the first time since August. Alex Iwobi’s 97th-minute winner for Fulham on Saturday put United back on an even keel in one respect, though definitely not others.
The upbeat feel generated by Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s investment and his crowd-pleasing statements of ambition was replaced by an early reminder that this team look capable of losing any game, albeit also of winning some. With 15 defeats in all competitions, eight of them at Old Trafford, a club Ratcliffe described as one of the six biggest in Europe instead sit sixth in England.
They have a negative goal difference at Old Trafford, both in the Premier League and in all competitions. Ratcliffe said it was unreasonable to think United would play as good football as Manchester City straight away. On Saturday, they were decidedly inferior to Fulham.
Erik ten Hag’s naturally stern expression can mean he often looks grim-faced. As the camera zoomed in on the Dutchman on Saturday, there seemed an uncharacteristic vulnerability, a worried look. No wonder. The Dutchman has benefited from the wholehearted support of chief executive Richard Arnold and football director John Murtough, ensuring his position went unchallenged when autumnal results could have provided the grounds for the sack. Then a period in limbo brought him a form of stability, with no change likely as long as Ratcliffe’s investment was planned but not completed.
But now results have acquired a new imperative for Ten Hag. He has lost his shield: Arnold is gone and it is unclear if Murtough will follow. They were invested in him. A new regime has already made decisive moves to hire new people: Omar Berrada as CEO, potentially Dan Ashworth as sporting director. Meanwhile, and coincidentally or otherwise, some of those Ratcliffe inherited have started to eye pastures new: the coach Eric Ramsey will go to manage Minnesota, the head of women’s football Polly Bancroft to become CEO of Grimsby Town, accepting more senior roles at smaller clubs.
Then there is Ten Hag. Thus far, he has been more effusive about Ratcliffe than the new co-owner has been about the manager others appointed. In the last week, Ten Hag has said he and Ratcliffe are aligned while the Englishman claimed it would be “inappropriate” to discuss the Dutchman’s position. Perhaps he was just being diplomatic but on Wednesday, the billionaire described Ashworth as one of the top sporting directors in the world. He outlined his policy in recruitment. “We need to populate all the key roles with people who are best in class, 10 out of 10s,” he said.
Is Ten Hag 10 out of 10? It was certainly possible to argue as much in 2019, when he took Ajax to the brink of the Champions League final. That case could have been made at this time last year, when United lifted the Carabao Cup and had lost just twice in 31 matches.
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It is harder to say so now, though Ten Hag insisted results only form part of the equation. “The bigger picture looks very good,” he said. Does it? Ratcliffe has been energised by the impact of United’s youngsters, highlighting the photo of Alejandro Garnacho, Rasmus Hojlund and Kobbie Mainoo sitting on the advertising hoarding against West Ham; it adorned the cover of Saturday’s programme, a sign others may be seeking the new powerbroker’s approval.
Perhaps choosing Omari Forson against Fulham was Ten Hag making the point that he can be trusted to oversee the next generation, though it was an anticlimactic occasion for the teenager. The bigger picture involves United’s almost ever-present injuries this season, with Casemiro added to the casualty list on Sunday, Hojlund and Luke Shaw earlier in the week. Ten Hag had sighed when asked about United’s last 12 months. “You know we had some setbacks,” he said. The loss of key players has been a mitigating factor.
Saturday was United’s 36th game of the season and Ten Hag has picked 34 different line-ups. He has only once selected what now seems his strongest side and they excelled for much of the 4-3 win at Wolves, even if the madcap finish reflected United’s inherent lack of control. Yet that strongest side has brought two changes over the season: Mainoo in for the £55m misfit Mason Mount, Garnacho instead of £85m abomination that is Antony.
The bigger picture includes Ten Hag’s record in the transfer market and style of play: Ratcliffe had talked of “fantastic” football since Christmas, but admitted much of the first half of this season was scarcely exciting. Ten Hag had delivered a positive assessment of many of those games. But then his positivity came with the backing of the decision-makers. Now Erik ten Hag has entered his own era of uncertainty. Decisions will not be made on the basis of one game against Fulham but Saturday was a dreadful start.
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Harry Maguire hits out at ‘naive’ Man Utd approach after losing to Fulham
Harry Maguire called for a “big reaction” after Man Utd were stunned by a late Fulham winner at Old Trafford on Saturday.
Alex Iwobi netted in the seventh minute of stoppage time as Fulham snatched a 2-1 Premier League victory on Saturday after it seemed Maguire had salvaged a point for the hosts.
Maguire equalised when he pounced on a rebound in the 89th minute and Erik Ten Hag’s men were pushing for a late clincher themselves when they were caught on the break and Iwobi finished them off.
The defeat ended United’s four-game winning run in the league and dented their hopes of reaching the top four.
Man Utd are back in action when they travel to Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup on Wednesday before taking on rivals Manchester City next weekend.
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“We know it’s going to be a tough game in midweek,” defender Maguire told MUTV. “Our full focus is on that one. We’ve got to bounce back.’
“A big reaction is needed. It’s going to be a tough game but we’ve got to go there and produce a performance like we did there last year.”
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Maguire admitted Man Utd were caught out in the end but said pushing for the win seemed the right approach at the time.
He said: “This season we’ve scored numerous late goals, numerous late winners. So we had great belief that we were going to go on to win the game.
“Obviously in hindsight, now we can all sit here and say that we should have been more cautious. We were far too naive.
“We can look back and I’m sure we’ll assess it in terms of areas that we can improve on but, ultimately, over the 90 minutes we didn’t do enough to win the game.”
Mid-table Fulham have been inconsistent throughout the season and the victory was only their second in their last six league games.
Yet Iwobi believes the manner of the performance and the way they obtained the result should give them a big confidence boost.
The former Everton and Arsenal midfielder, who recently returned from Africa Cup of Nations duty, told the club’s website, fulhamfc.com: “I’m over the moon right now.
“To come back into the team and get a win now at Old Trafford, big stadium like this – no better feeling and fully deserved as well.
“We feel like we’ve been performing well recently and it’s just about getting the results.
“To do it at Old Trafford – hopefully we can kick on from this. This will give us a world of confidence.
“Everyone’s emotion is going to be high but we have to dust down now and go again.”
The most damning stats from Man Utd's dismal loss to Fulham
The recent positivity around Manchester United came to a screeching halt on Saturday as they were deservedly beaten 2-1 by Fulham.
A dismal performance was almost rescued by a Harry Maguire equaliser after Calvin Bassey had given the visitors the lead, but a 97th-minute strike from Alex Iwobi ensured the Red Devils' unbeaten run in 2024 came to an end.
Here are some of the most damning statistics from Man Utd's defeat to Fulham in the Premier League.
Marcus Rashford's minimal xG
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Rasmus Hojlund's brilliant form had been key behind Man Utd's unbeaten start to 2024. The Danish striker had scored seven goals in his last six games in all competitions before a muscle injury ruled him out of the Fulham match and another two to three weeks.
Plugged in as his replacement, Marcus Rashford struggled. He totted up an xG of just 0.05 per FotMob and received only 12 passes in the half half as the Red Devils struggled to involve the England international in their attacks.
Another solution needs to be found in Hojlund's absence, as Rashford has shown he is more effective on the flank than as a central focal point. What's perhaps more damning is that 1.07 of Man Utd's total 1.72 xG came from centre-back Maguire, who netted the equaliser before Iwobi's winner.
Unable to stop attacks
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Man Utd have struggled to contain teams throughout 2023/24, often conceding a host of chances and relying on the finishing of their opposition to stay in the game.
In fact, only Sheffield United have conceded more shots than United's 435 in the Premier League so far this season.
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Fulham contributed 17 of those on Saturday with the likes of Rodrigo Muniz and Iwobi enjoying regular sights of goal on the break. Manager Erik ten Hag hasn't managed to find a solution, instead having his side press high and risk being played straight through.
His team have been cut through time and time again, and they eventually ran out of luck against Fulham.
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Old Trafford fortress breached over and over again
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Man Utd lost to Brighton on the opening weekend of the 2022/23 Premier League season but would only suffer defeat at Old Trafford once more - a group-stage clash with Real Sociedad in September - for the rest of the campaign.
Home comforts have not arrived in 2023/24, however.
Ten Hag's side have now lost eight games at Old Trafford in all competitions this term, their most since 2020/21. They last lost more matches in 1973/74, when they were relegated from the old First Division.
Fulham's rare success was their first over Man Utd away from home since October 2003, having been winless in their previous 16 visits.
Unbeaten start to 2024 ends with a whimper
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With Sir Jim Ratcliffe's involvement in Man Utd confirmed and Hojlund's goalscoring leading the Red Devils in an unbeaten start to 2024, fan optimism was high. Champions League qualification now looks in reach, even if the defeat to Fulham is somewhat damaging.
However, they'll have to start again on Wednesday and the stakes are high as Ten Hag's side visit Nottingham Forest in the fifth round of the FA Cup. The small matter of a local derby at Manchester City follows that away trip.
If damaging defeats arrive before the March international break, United's season will be in danger of falling apart spectacularly.
Man Utd's results in 2024 so far
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This article was originally published on www.90min.com as The most damning stats from Man Utd's dismal loss to Fulham.
Ten Hag could follow Antony out of Manchester United with Kompany sack surely next – 3pm Blackout
Erik ten Hag has tried to cut ties with Antony but may be headed the same way at Manchester United, with Vincent Kompany on the brink and Leon Bailey firing.
Manchester United 1-2 Fulham: Ten Hag will face same fate as Antony if problems persist
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has already raised a few eyebrows with his comments since purchasing a minority stake but seemingly majority footballing control of Manchester United. It is safe to say the necessary portions of the message regarding the club’s future managerial direction were heard loud and clear by the current incumbent.“Attacking football. Exciting football. Bringing the youth through,” Ratcliffe said of his grand vision, adding that “the academy is really important for Manchester United”.
They were easy notes to hit when discussing a club which has named at least one such developed talent in every matchday squad since 1937, but Erik ten Hag received the message: with Rasmus Hojlund out against Fulham, a full debut was handed to teenager Omari Forson.
That increased the relevance of another wider Ratcliffe point. “We need to be as good as anyone else in the game at recruitment and we haven’t been,” said a billionaire seemingly intent on forcing every director of football across the country into a period of gardening leave. He might as well have been holding up a picture of Antony at the time, the £82m winger who arrived as the teacher’s pet but has been pushed to the back of the class within 18 months or so.
READ MORE: Ten Hag insists Man Utd showed ‘big character’ before Fulham ‘escape’
Ten Hag said before the game that Antony “has to prove a point” and “will do”, but introducing him in the eighth of ten stoppage-time minutes spoke volumes; Forson had played four Premier League minutes prior to this match and still had more assists than Antony this season.
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Amad Diallo was sent on before then in the 80th minute as Manchester United searched for an equaliser to Calvin Bassey’s opener. Fulham had been the better side of the first half – they had five shots before the hosts managed their first – and finally found a breakthrough around the hour mark after the defender thundered an effort past Andre Onana following a scramble in the area.
Both sides had hit the woodwork before then but neither had the incision or instinct to make their moments count. The absence of Hojlund undoubtedly hurt Manchester United and neither of Fulham’s top scorers – Raul Jimenez and Bobby Reid – featured, with Willian also absent.
Ten Hag’s side established parity in suitable fashion in the 89th minute, Harry Maguire cancelling out his fellow centre-half’s goal when Bernd Leno spilled a Bruno Fernandes shot, and from then the Old Trafford push for a winner felt inevitable; it’s what they do.
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But it was Fulham who pounced, Alex Iwobi’s clever finish leaving Onana rooted and halting a run of consecutive victories many felt were papering over those same old Manchester United cracks.
Ratcliffe has taken on the responsibility of identifying and properly treating those underlying issues which have rooted themselves into the club’s very foundation. Antony is a symbol of those failings and it was telling to see Ten Hag continue to try and cut those inexorable ties to an £82m millstone – and perhaps even more significant that he still turned to him in a time of directionless panic.
The manager will know better than anyone that if he cannot address Manchester United’s general inconsistency and establish that distinctive “exciting football” the new regime demands, he will be discarded just as easily.
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Alex Iwobi scored the winner at Old Trafford
Crystal Palace 3-0 Burnley: Kompany signs his own P45 with Glasner praise and implosion
When asked for his thoughts on the newest addition to the Premier League coaching family, Vincent Kompany spoke with admiration and respect for Oliver Glasner.He’s a coach with a lot of clarity in what he does. Every team he’s set up so far, he’s set up in a very clear way with a lot of intent in their game.
The quickest and most damning response to which might be: who wants to tell him?
Burnley supporters have yearned for a semblance of that “clarity” and “intent” all season. Or just to feel anything at all other than absolute apathy at the dismantling of last season’s runaway Championship winners.
The emblem of that unnecessary ruination must be James Trafford, the League One goalkeeper transplanted into this pastiche team of mercurial wingers and inexperienced defenders assembled to the tune of almost £100m in the summer, despite Aro Muric being a crucial part of this side. Another game, another few decent saves littered in an error-strewn performance which fundamentally cost his team – against a relegation rival, no less.
His pass to Josh Brownhill resulting in the midfielder’s red card for fouling Jefferson Lerma was precisely the sort Burnley have been playing to their detriment throughout this sorry campaign, yet still Kompany asks these seemingly unfamiliar and certainly underqualified players to stick steadfastly to the style.
It garnered two shots – neither on target – against a Palace side with a couple of wins in 14 games and one of the worst home records in the entire league. Glasner’s side were absolutely dominant, the high press which forced Brownhill’s sending-off finally receiving tangible reward when Chris Richards headed Jordan Ayew’s stunning cross past Trafford.
The floodgates opened from there. Ayew converted Matheus Franca’s wonderful ball across goal, the Brazilian forward then winning a penalty from Vitinho after leading a four-on-two counter-attack. Jean-Philippe Mateta converted to turn 0-0 after 67 minutes into 3-0 after 79.
Becoming a new coach’s first scalp is a sure-fire way to win a Premier League manager sack race you are already a heavy favourite for. If Burnley ever do bite the bullet, Kompany cannot possibly say it hasn’t been coming.
Aston Villa 4-2 Nottingham Forest: Only Haaland, Salah are eclipsing Bailey form as Champions League bid back on track
Leon Bailey continued his excellent season for Aston Villa to help Unai Emery’s men survive a scare against Nottingham Forest.After a stuttering maiden campaign in the Premier League, the former Bayer Leverkusen forward has found his feet under Emery and put on a show against a poor Forest side, who gave themselves hope of a comeback with an early second-half goal from Morgan Gibbs-White after Moussa Niakhate’s stoppage-time effort.
The Villans have been a bit shaky in recent weeks and are going through their first blip of the season, losing their previous two home games going into Saturday’s fixture, when this time last month they hadn’t tasted defeat at Villa Park in close to a year.
Facing Forest was a good opportunity to get back on track at home and Villa made a superb start, scoring inside four minutes thanks to Ollie Watkins’ tap-in. The England striker’s easy finish came after some excellent work by Bailey, whose sublime touch beat Murillo before nutmegging another defender with his pass to Watkins.
Bailey again had a part to play in the second goal, finding Matty Cash with a line-breaking ball. Cash passed to Jacob Ramsey, who provided the assist for Douglas Luiz. The Brazilian midfielder made it 3-0 soon after courtesy of a John McGinn right-footed cross that David Beckham would have been proud of.
Goals on either side of half-time from Forest gave them a glimmer of hope, but it was that man Bailey who restored Villa’s two-goal lead. This time it was Watkins who assisted the Jamaican winger; only Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah are providing more goal contributions per 90 in the Premier League this season. He has been that good.
The scoreline flattered Forest, who didn’t do nearly enough to get anything out of the game. They have a long way to go to ensure relegation is not a possibility and with the new manager bounce over and done with, they will be praying they avoid a points deduction for breaching the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules.
Villa, though, have got their Champions League bid back on track and can thank their three best players of the season: Watkins, Luiz and Bailey.
It looks like Moussa Diaby’s big-money move to Villa Park has given Bailey a kick up the backside. He has been relentless this season, netting his eighth goal and getting his seventh assist in only his 13th start. Nobody saw this coming and if you say you did, you are a liar.
Brighton 1-1 Everton: Gross, Dunk rescue 10-man Seagulls from another Everton loss in strange season
Brighton were hoping for revenge after their epic home defeat to Everton last season but once again struggled against a stubborn Toffees side and were ultimately fortunate to snatch a draw.There were moments of desperation from the Toffees as a couple of deflected shots saved Jordan Pickford from working hard for his clean sheet, but it was Jarrad Branthwaite’s outstanding left-footed strike that broke the deadlock at the Amex.
It was a goal out of nowhere that gave Bart Verbruggen no chance whatsoever. After being on the wrong end of a Dwight McNeil masterclass last season, it felt like more of the same for Brighton against Everton, with the home players surely thinking to themselves: ‘Only bloody Branthwaite would score a goal like that against us.’
Things went from bad to worse for Roberto De Zerbi’s men when Billy Gilmour was shown a straight red card in the 81st minute. It felt like there was no way back but Brighton’s player of the season, Pascal Gross was the difference maker, whipping in a beautiful cross for Lewis Dunk to equalise in the 95th minute, denying Sean Dyche another superb result at the Amex.
It has been a bizarre season for Brighton and De Zerbi, who is being linked with the biggest jobs in world football, including Liverpool, Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
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The Seagulls currently sit in seventh place in the Premier League, which feels like a false position. It feels like they are dropping points all the time and it is probably a sign that clubs around them have been a bit pants that they are as high as they are.
They have won at Old Trafford, smashed Tottenham at home and beaten Sheffield United 5-0 on the road, but have also drawn at home with the Blades, Burnley, Wolves, Fulham and now drawn both games against Everton. Not to mention Chelsea beat them. Bloody Chelsea!
Wolves away in the FA Cup will be a stern test after a disappointing result and performance against the Toffees. If De Zerbi wants a big move at the end of the season, his side will need to show more consistency.
