Sir Jim Ratcliffe draws up Man Utd plan as Erik ten Hag faces sack threat

Manchester United's clash with Aston Villa on Sunday will see Sir Jim Ratcliffe in the stands , as rumors continue to swirl around Erik ten Hag's future at Old Trafford.

The Dutchman is under increasing pressure after a disappointing start to the season that sees United languishing in 13th place in the Premier League, having secured just two victories from their first six matches. Despite being handed a contract extension over the summer, Ten Hag has found himself under the microscope following a string of poor performances.

Last weekend's crushing 3-0 defeat at home to Tottenham and Thursday night's thrilling Europa League draw with FC Porto have left the former Ajax boss on shaky ground.

Now, with the international break on the horizon, Sunday's showdown with Villa - who are fresh off a Champions League victory over Bayern Munich - could prove pivotal for Ten Hag. And with United's top brass, including Ratcliffe, set to be in attendance at Villa Park, the stakes couldn't be higher.

Ratcliffe is poised to have the ultimate say on Erik ten Hag's future at Manchester United, with any potential dismissal being a collective decision involving Sir Dave Brailsford and Joel Glazer. They would consider insights from chief executive Omar Berrada and new sporting director Dan Ashworth.

Ratcliffe's presence at the weekend's game only fuels rumours that Ten Hag's tenure could be cut short if United's upcoming performances don't measure up.

United's recent defeat at Tottenham has seen them lose back-to-back home games in the Premier League without finding the net for the first time since the last days of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's reign in 2021.

Despite the pressure, Ten Hag stands firm on his position. After the Spurs defeat, he declared his confidence, stating: "No, I'm not thinking about this. We are all on one page or in one boat together - the ownership, the staff, the players as well. So I don't have that concern [the sack].

"We all made togetherness in this decision to stay together, as an ownership and as a leadership group. In the summer we also made the decision, from a clear review, on what we have to improve and how we want to construct a squad. But we knew it would take some time."