- Sir Jim Ratcliffe chose to back Erik ten Hag after reconsidering his position
- United suffered their worst ever Premier League result last season
- Ratcliffe has now outlined his main objective for the upcoming campaign
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has reportedly revealed his top target for Erik ten Hag at Man United this season after backing the Dutchman.
United finished eighth in their worst Premier League ever last season and it looked as if Ten Hag would be sacked in the final weeks of the season.
But the fact that they won the FA Cup final against rivals Manchester City at Wembley was enough for United’s management to keep Ten Hag.
Ratcliffe has now outlined his targets for the new season, with United expected to do better than last year, but Ten Hag is under no pressure to secure a top four finish, according to The guard.
Ratcliffe instead wants to focus on clearly progressing the first team and creating a strong platform on which he can build for future success.
Man United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has outlined his top priority for the upcoming season
Erik ten Hag is reportedly under no pressure to secure a top four finish this season
Last season United finished eight points outside the top four, but Ratcliffe believes they do not need to close the gap this year to get back into the Champions League.
However, he has made moves to strengthen United’s squad in his first transfer window since becoming part-owner of the club.
The Red Devils have already signed deals for striker Joshua Zirkzee and central defender Leny Yoro, while they have also been linked with PSG’s Manuel Ugarte and Bayern Munich defender Matthijs de Ligt.
Ratcliffe’s priorities were revealed just days after new sporting director Dan Ashworth addressed United fans for the first time.
In a lengthy statement, Ashworth vowed to take United back to the top of English football, but admitted the club would need time to achieve this goal.
“This remains one of the greatest football clubs in the world, but that is not our measure of success,” he wrote. “The focus is on being among the best on the pitch again.
Ratcliffe wants Ten Hag to build a platform for future success by bringing in young players, such as new signing Leny Yoro (pictured)
“It won’t happen overnight, but together with Omar and his new leadership team, we will not rest until we achieve it.
‘By winning the FA Cup in such an impressive manner, our players and staff have shown what they can do.
‘Our challenge is to reach those levels much more consistently.
‘It is my job to work with Jason to create the right support structures around Erik, the staff and the players to make that possible.’
