Manchester United’s Ten Hag doesn’t care about guarantees

Erik ten Hag has said he “doesn't care” that new part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has yet to publicly confirm he will remain as Manchester United manager next season.

The United manager has a contract at Old Trafford until 2025, but there has been speculation over his position following a poor season in which his side slipped to sixth in the Premier League table.

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Ratcliffe's 27.7% stake in the club was confirmed last week, but the 71-year-old British billionaire has not confirmed that Ten Hag will definitely be the manager next season.

However, the Dutchman insists this is not a problem and says the new management team “thinks” he is the right person for the job.

Asked if it would benefit Ratcliffe to confirm he would remain as manager, Ten Hag replied: “I'm under contract for three seasons so I don't care.

“I'm in this process, I'm just focused on the process, so I don't care what's going on around me. I have many discussions with Sir Jim Radcliffe, also with Sir Dave Brailsford and other members of this group, so I know what we're talking about and I strongly believe in it and I feel like they believe in me.”

Ratcliffe is planning a number of changes at United and has already poached Omar Berrada from Manchester City as the club's new CEO. He has also contacted Newcastle United sporting director Dan Ashworth and interest continues in Southampton's Jason Wilcox joining the recruitment team.

The decisions suggested that Ratcliffe and his team were monitoring Ten Hag, but the 54-year-old said he did not feel judged.

“No, but I want to win every game,” he said. “I know I'm in a process, I know what I'm doing. Like I just said, I've had many discussions, we're constantly having discussions and we're talking about the future together.

“I'm focused on these two points: to improve the team now and in the next match, and to think about the future, and to do it together.”

A 2-1 defeat to Fulham on Saturday left United eight points outside the top four – the guaranteed places to qualify for next season's Champions League, and no United manager since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement in 2013 has survived a full season without achieving a place in Europe's elite club competition at the end of it, raising the possibility that Ten Hag could be replaced.

“I don’t focus on my personal situation,” Ten Hag said. “I just focus on the team and I have to find solutions for this team so that they perform in the best possible way. It's about focusing on that and not getting distracted by any noise or anything whether it be.

“If you're talking about a defeat and the coach's position is under discussion, I think it's very timely after two months without a defeat. I can't take anything from it, I can't take seriously. I still have to stay focused. on the team and on the performance of the team.

Man United face Nottingham Forest on Wednesday in the fifth round of the FA Cup, and despite Saturday's defeat to Fulham, Ten Hag says the team has no plans to change their approach.

“We were undefeated in January and February and we lost a game. It was a bad performance and a defeat, we are aware of that,” Ten Hag said. “We want to stay in every competition. We have to win tomorrow. It doesn't change our approach, it's for every game.

“I look at today, we are working on the development of the team and trying to win every game. We are looking forward to the long term.”