ten Hag might have found out that he and Sir Jim Ratcliffe had their first argument about Manchester United

Erik ten Hag might have found out that he and Sir Jim Ratcliffe had their first argument about Manchester Unite.

The owner of INEOS is expected to purchase a 25% share in the Premier League team, which could mean the end of the Man United manager’s unwavering influence in the football setup.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the potential co-owner of Manchester United (Photo: VALERY HACHE/AFP via Getty Images)

There is always room for agreement and disagreement between the new boardroom figure and the manager when a new regime takes over a football team.

Erik ten Hag’s opposite number on Tuesday evening knows this all too well. Thomas Tuchel and Todd Boehly clashed almost immediately when the latter arrived at Premier League rivals Chelsea.

Eventually, when Boehly was wanting to be too involved with the recruitment of players, the relationship completely broke down and Tuchel was out of Stamford Bridge. Currently, there is no suggestion a similar decline will transpire when Sir Jim Ratcliffe finally arrives at Old Trafford, but it is of course a possibility.

While the takeover process has been hit with an endless amount of delays, it is still widely expected that INEOS will acquire a 25 per cent stake in United. Their arrival will prompt a new hands-on approach to the football project with figures like Sir Dave Brailsford and Jean-Claude Blanc thought to be lined up to get involved.

All signs suggest the INEOS team have no desire to get rid of Ten Hag and ultimately that is the right call. But that doesn’t mean they will be immune from clashes and perhaps the first source of disagreement has now been discovered.

On Monday, quotes from Ratcliffe’s book which was released in the summer, reared their head again in the press. Of particular focus was the British billionaire’s mocking of Bruno Fernandes.

In an off-the-cuff remark, Ratcliffe took aim at Fernandes feigning injury last season during the 7-0 thrashing at the hands of Liverpool. “A far cry from Bruno Fernandes clutching his untouched face in the Liverpool debacle recently,” he wrote about the behaviour of an injured rugby player he had watched play. At the time, the captain’s actions were heavily criticised but, to his credit, the Portuguese midfielder managed to rebuild his image somewhat and earned himself the role on a permanent basis.

It was a huge show of trust from Ten Hag who has spoken highly of his skipper since arriving in the summer of 2022. “I think that is why he’s captain, because he has a very good personality,” the United boss said a few months ago.

“He is a character and he wants to contribute in his way to the team. And it doesn’t change when the role is changed, because he is now officially captain: last year, for most of the games, he was wearing the [arm]band.”

Although Ten Hag has complete faith in Fernandes, it appears from Ratcliffe’s remarks that the midfield player is not the best choice for the position of dressing room leader. The 29-year-old’s abilities are undeniable, and Ratcliffe will probably concur, but it is damning for the 71-year-old to publicly criticize the behavior of a player he hopes to collaborate with soon.

If past INEOS endeavors serve as any indication, Ratcliffe and associates should manage their portion of the club with a proactive mindset. Therefore, the question is whether the potential co-owner will allow the Dutchman to keep his appointment or try to impose his own opinions on Fernandes on Ten Hag.