Manchester United’s chief executive Omar Berrada has reiterated the club’s full support for manager Erik ten Hag, despite the team’s disappointing start to the Premier League season. The backing comes after United suffered a 3-0 home defeat to Liverpool, their second loss in three games, leaving them in 14th place on the table.
Last season, United finished eighth in the league, their worst performance since 1990. However, Ten Hag led the team to a surprising FA Cup final victory against Manchester City, which earned him a one-year contract extension in July. The extension was granted after club executives explored alternative options, but ultimately decided to stick with the Dutchman.
Ahead of the Liverpool match, Berrada expressed confidence in Ten Hag’s leadership, saying, “Do we still believe in Erik? Absolutely. We think Erik is the right coach for us and we’re fully backing him.”
New sporting director Dan Ashworth, who joined United recently, also voiced his support for Ten Hag, noting that his role is to assist the manager in all aspects of the team’s operations. “I see my job is to support him in every way I possibly can,” Ashworth said, emphasizing the importance of freeing Ten Hag to focus on training and tactical preparations.
During Ashworth’s initial weeks at the club, the summer transfer window saw significant activity. United brought in players like Matthijs De Ligt, Manuel Ugarte, Joshua Zirkzee, Leny Yoro, and Noussair Mazraoui. At the same time, notable departures included Scott McTominay and Jadon Sancho.
Sancho, who had a fallout with Ten Hag early last season, returned to Borussia Dortmund on loan in January before rejoining United for pre-season. Despite making appearances in the Community Shield, he was loaned to Chelsea on deadline day with an obligation to buy. Ashworth explained that Sancho’s departure was driven by the player’s desire to explore new opportunities, a sentiment shared by others like McTominay and Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
“We felt we had enough depth in that particular position,” Ashworth said of Sancho’s exit. “He wanted to explore the opportunity at Chelsea… We’re not in a position where we’re kicking players out of the club.”
