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MANCHESTER — Erik ten Hag knows he is now in the survival phase of his career as Manchester United manager, and his reaction to Scott McTominay’s stoppage-time miss in the 2-2 draw against Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford was proof of his vulnerability in front of the man who will soon be his boss: Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
Ten Hag threw his hands in the air and then put his head in them. McTominay was unmarked, 6 yards out, as he jumped to head Alejandro Garnacho’s cross into the net to make it 3-2. But the Scotland midfielder sent his effort high over Guglielmo Vicario’s crossbar and the win that Ten Hag desperately needed evaporated, leaving United with one point from a game in which they had twice taken the lead.
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United and Ten Hag have had plenty of setbacks this season, of course. That’s why they sit in seventh position in the Premier League, eight points adrift of the top four and 13 points behind leaders Liverpool.
But while all of the previous stumbles were played out against a backdrop of uncertainty about the club’s ownership and a punishing injury list, Sunday marked a change of direction for United and Ten Hag.
Ratcliffe was watching United for the first time since confirmation of his £1.3 billion investment to take a 25% stake of the club last month — the deal still has to be ratified by the Premier League — and his presence alongside Sir Alex Ferguson in the directors’ box signalled the imminent changes to be made at the club, which will see the billionaire and his associates take over football operations at United from the Glazer family, who will retain a majority stake as owners.
Ratcliffe wants to sharpen up United’s scouting and recruitment, and that is surely music to Ten Hag’s ears, but if the former Ajax coach is to…
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