“We want to work with them,” Erik ten Hag breaks silence on Sir. Jim Ratcliffe’s £1.25 billion Man United takeover

Despite the recent takeover, the Glazers remain majority (75 percent) owners of Manchester United.

“We want to work with them,” Erik ten Hag breaks silence on Sir. Jim Ratcliffe’s £1.25 billion Man United takeover

Erik ten Hag broke his silence on Jim Ratcliffe's partial takeover of United (via Manchester Evening News and Business Today)

Manchester United’s manager, Erik ten Hag, spoke out after the club’s recent partial acquisition by Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS group on Christmas eve. The Dutch coach praised the successful deal after a challenging 3-2 victory against Aston Villa, pushing the team to 6th place in the Premier League standings.

The Red Devils are in a tough spot, lagging in the Premier League title chase and experiencing a disappointing exit from the Champions League group stage. The Dutch manager, owing to the club’s disappointing performances this season faces the risk of being sacked following the completion of the new ownership deal. Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS group has purchased a 25 percent stake in the EPL club for £ 1.25 billion, following months of extensive negotiations with the majority owners, the Glazers.

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The former Ajax manager exclaimed that the ownership change could bring about multiple positive changes for the Red Devils. Moreover, he highlighted the INEOS Group’s experience managing Mercedes in Formula One, a cycling team, and Ligue 1 side OGC Nice, expressing optimism about their help in achieving United’s targets.

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I think it’s positive for the club that they are stepping in. They have a lot of experience in sport at the highest level, in Formula One (with Mercedes), their cycling team, and other football clubs (Nice and Lausanne) so that can only help us that they support us to get our targets. They are looking forward to working with us and we want to work with them
Ten Hag said., as reported by Manchester evening News.

Overall, he showed enthusiasm about working with the new owners, although denying that the protracted deal, which took 13 months to complete, had affected his side. Ten Hag mentioned he was kept updated throughout the takeover, initially by former CEO Richard Arnold and later by interim CEO Patrick Stewart, ensuring he remained informed. He stated that the club, himself, and the players are prepared for potential future changes under Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

Manchester United earned a hard-fought 3-2 win over rivals Aston Villa

Manchester United secured a thrilling victory against Aston Villa in the Premier League, putting an end to their four-game goal drought. This win propelled United to sixth place in the EPL standings, trailing Tottenham in fourth by five points, while Aston Villa fell three points behind the league leaders, Liverpool.

Manchester United celebrate against Aston Villa
Manchester United celebrate against Aston Villa (via The Telegraph)

In a crucial game at Old Trafford, Manchester United made an outstanding comeback, netting three goals in the second half after a disappointing first-half display that left them trailing by two goals. John McGinn and Leander Dendoncker scored quickfire goals for Villa in the 21st and 28th minute respectively, securing an early 2-0 lead.

However, in the second half, United mounted an impressive comeback led by Alejandro Garnacho’s brace and a goal from Rasmus Hojlund. The victory ended the Red Devils’ four-game win-less run, bringing a sense of relief to the team.

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