Erik ten Hag 'sack decision made' as Manchester United meeting begins

Erik ten Hag believes he still has the support of the Manchester United hierarchy ahead of Tuesday’s crunch meeting.

Ten Hag’s position as manager will be debated when United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe meets in London with the likes of INEOS director of sport Sir Dave Brailsford, CEO Omar Berrada, technical director Jason Wilcox and sporting director Dan Ashworth.

Chief financial officer Roger Bell and chief operating officer Collette Roche will also be in attendance, while Joel Glazer has flown in from the United States.

United have made their worst-ever start to a Premier League season after Sunday’s 0-0 draw at Aston Villa left the Red Devils 14th in the table with eight points from their first seven games.

They have now failed to win five straight matches in all competitions, including the humbling 3-0 defeat to Tottenham at Old Trafford on September 29. Their last win of any kind came in the Carabao Cup against League One side Barnsley.

According to ESPN, Ten Hag is confident he will not be sacked at Tuesday’s executive meeting, but his job hangs in the balance after United’s woeful start to the new campaign. Thomas Tuchel, unemployed after leaving Bayern Munich last summer, is reportedly under consideration should the beleaguered Dutchman be dismissed.

Early plans for the January transfer window will also be among the topics discussed on Tuesday, which is the latest of INEOS’s monthly scheduled meetings with Manchester United chiefs, with September’s meeting having taken place in Barcelona.

There were a number of key meetings held at Old Trafford on Monday as United step up plans for a stadium redevelopment. Ratcliffe and Joel Glazer were present, as were Sir Alex Ferguson and Gary Neville.

Ratcliffe last week suggested to the BBC that he will not make the final decision as to whether Ten Hag is sacked.

He said: “I like Erik, I think he’s a very good coach but, at the end of the day, it’s not my call. It’s the management team that’s running Manchester United that have to decide how we best run the team in many different respects.”

Ten Hag is currently on holiday and has granted time away from the club’s Carrington training base to first-team players not away with their national teams during the October international break.