Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has acknowledged that keeping Erik ten Hag as manager last summer was a mistake.
In an interview with Sky Sports, Ratcliffe praised current head coach Rúben Amorim for the “excellent job” he has been doing.
Despite signing a contract extension after leading United to a 2-1 FA Cup final victory over Manchester City, Ten Hag was dismissed just nine matches into the new season.
Ratcliffe revealed that he, along with chief executive Omar Berrada, INEOS director of sport Sir Dave Brailsford, and technical director Jason Wilcox, misjudged the situation when deciding to retain Ten Hag.
Currently, United sits 14th in the Premier League, trailing leaders Liverpool by 36 points, as the Reds aim to match United’s record of 20 league titles.
Although Amorim has won only five of his 17 league games in charge, Ratcliffe remains optimistic about the team’s progress under the Portuguese coach.
Reflecting on last summer’s decision, Ratcliffe admitted: “It was too soon for us to make such a major call. We hadn’t been working together as a team for long just a few weeks. It was a big and challenging decision, especially considering how difficult it was to separate Erik’s individual performance from the overall club structure at the time.”
When asked if he regretted the choice, he responded: “Yes, it was the wrong decision. We made a mistake. There were mitigating factors in making that call, but ultimately, we got it wrong. So, hands up that one’s on me.”
