Why Manchester United are ignoring questions on Erik ten Hag's future

Manchester United's monthly executive meeting was regarded as business as usual by those within the club. Only it wasn't.

Television crews, photographers and reporters were stationed between Harrods and Ineos's office in Knightsbridge.

United sources said the meeting was pre-scheduled and they would not communicate any conclusions from such a rendezvous. Finances, commercial and plans for a new Old Trafford were discussed, as well as the team's performance.

Going off that, the natural assumption is Erik ten Hag will attend the pre-match press conference at Carrington next Thursday and he will be in the Old Trafford dugout against Brentford two days later.

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For United have totally ignored the question their millions of supporters are asking: is the manager staying or going?

It is a more topical question than the mooted Old Trafford rebuild, the Premier League's profitability and sustainability rules or a new chief business officer United intend to appoint.

United have won three of their 11 games this season. They are 14th in the Premier League table with a goal difference of -3. They have failed to score in four of their past five Premier League games and only Southampton have scored fewer league goals.

United have not scored such a meagre amount in their first seven league games since 1972-73. Midway through that season, manager Frank O'Farrell was sacked.

Since the start of last term, United have won 28 out of 63 games. They have won 20 of their past 45 league fixtures.

Beyond the unflattering numbers, Sir Jim Ratcliffe declined to publicly back Ten Hag when he was interviewed by the BBC on Friday.

"I don't want to answer that question," Ratcliffe said. "I like Erik. I think he's a very good coach but at the end of the day, it's not my call. It's the management team that's running Manchester United that have to decide how best we run the team in many different respects.

"That team has only been together since July. They weren't there in January, February, March or April. Omar (Berrada) and Dan Ashworth arrived in July. You can count it in weeks, almost.

"So they need to take stock and make some sensible decisions. Our objective is very clear – we want to take Manchester United back to where it should be. And it's not there yet, obviously. That's very clear."

Ratcliffe has spoken unconvincingly about Ten Hag since he was invited to assess his tenure during a sit-down with journalists in Knightsbridge in February. He is understood to like the possibility of Thomas Tuchel taking over.

Tuesday's executive meeting was described as "routine". The presence of the power brokers at two summits this week, and Ratcliffe's opting to exit Monday's meeting at Old Trafford via a rear entrance to avoid the public, have merely fuelled intrigue.

After the FA Cup final victory in May, Ratcliffe was doorstepped by a reporter as he strolled through the mixed zone to congratulate the United players in the dressing room. Ratcliffe sought an alternative exit route from the tunnel.

When United belatedly decided to keep Ten Hag in June, there was no official club communiqué. Confirmation was leaked to a favoured journalist. Should United's heads emerge from the sand, that is the likeliest method of clarifying Ten Hag is staying (again).

For their silence is deafening. Ten Hag himself was piqued that Ineos did not offer public backing in the final months of last season. Given the number of managers they touched base with, there were a fair few reasons for that.

United failed to banish the uncertainty surrounding Ten Hag by retaining him and extending his contract. At the time of writing, they cannot bring themselves to clarify he is staying again when nipping it in the bud would be in everyone's interests.

Particularly Ten Hag's.