(Football news) Even though Manchester United’s performance in 2024 improved, there is still a lot of conjecture about what will happen to manager Erik ten Hag in the future.
Manchester United lost 2-1 against Fulham at home on Saturday afternoon, marking their 15th defeat of the 2023–24 season. As a result, they are now sixth in the Premier League, three points behind Tottenham Hotspur in fifth position and eight behind Aston Villa in fourth.
Ratcliffe hasn’t formally endorsed Ten Hag, but the Dutchman stated during his press conference prior to Wednesday night’s FA Cup fifth-round matchup with Nottingham Forest that he ‘doesn’t care’ about the rumours surrounding his future.
“So I’m here. I’m under contract for three seasons, so I don’t care,” he told reporters. “I’m only focusing on the process, so I don’t care what’s going on around me.
“I have many talks with Sir Jim Ratcliffe, also with Sir Dave Brailsford and others in that group, so I know where we are and I feel that they believe in me.
“I know what I’m doing. Consistently we have talks, and we’re talking about the future together. If you talk about one defeat and the manager’s position is in discussion, I think it’s quite opportune after two months without a defeat. I can’t take it seriously.
“It would be a problem when the leadership in this group has this approach or, internally, the others would have this approach, but that’s not the case. We are together there.
“It’s not about me. I’m not focusing on my personal circumstances, I’m just focusing on the team. It’s all about focusing on that and don’t get distracted by any noise or whatever.”
Ratcliffe is keen to explore the possibility of bringing Zidane to Old Trafford, viewing the Frenchman as his leading managerial target. Jean-Claude Blanc, who is the CEO of INEOS Sport, is a ‘great admirer’ of Zidane and tried to bring him to Paris Saint-Germain during his time at the French club.
Bayern Munich are also said to be determined to recruit Zidane, with the Bundesliga champions recently announcing that Thomas Tuchel will be leaving at the end of the campaign. Zidane has not been in management since leaving Real Madrid in May 2021, but he has been consistently linked with a number of high-profile positions over the last couple of years.
Two La Liga championships, three Champions League crowns, two Club World Cups, two Spanish Super Cups, and two UEFA Super Cups were won by the 51-year-old during his two distinct stints as Real Madrid’s manager.
Prior to their Premier League trip to Manchester City this weekend, Manchester United will be looking to recover from their loss to Fulham when they travel to Forest on Wednesday night in the FA Cup’s fifth round.
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