Ten Hag forced to accept 'caretaker' Man Utd role despite eyeing two targets

Holland striker Brian Brobbey is the latest Ajax old boy Erik ten Hag wants to be reunited with at Manchester United.

Among United’s many problems is scoring goals and Marcus Rashford, Rasmus Hojlund and Anthony Martial have just 13 goals between them. Rashford has four in 26 games, Hojlund seven in 25 and Martial two in 19.

United clearly need another goalscorer and Ten Hag wants the 21-year-old Brobbey, who has netted 14 times for Ajax this season. United also like Everton ’s young centre-half Jarrad Branthwaite and he is earning rave reviews for his performances this season.

But the days of Ten Hag picking his transfer targets are at an end and United, with new minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe in charge of football operations, are changing fast. Ten Hag’s transfers have clearly not worked and Hojlund, Antony, Lisandro Martinez and Andre Onana have failed to live up to their expensive price tags.

Ratcliffe wants a new transfer committee and all deals to tie into the club’s philosophy. He wants transfers to be ratified by a panel of himself, board member Sir Dave Brailsford, new CEO Omar Berrada, their new sporting director and Ten Hag.

Ratcliffe wants United to adopt a more-joined-up approach after the wilderness years since Sir Alex Ferguson left in 2013. United have won just one Europa League, one FA Cup and two Carabao Cups since then, despite their massive outlay and Ratcliffe wants to end this wastefulness.

Signing players is further complicated by Ten Hag’s position and with United set to miss out on Champions League football, the Dutchman is rapidly becoming little more than a caretaker manager. United know there is little point in sacking him now, despite their awful season, whey they are highly unlikely to get who they want in January.

They could appoint a caretaker until the summer and make a permanent appointment then, but they are still scarred by Wreck-it-Ralph Rangnick’s terrible six months in charge between December 2021 and May 2022, when the club hit a new low.

Unless United’s fortunes dip even further, Ten Hag is likely to remain in charge until the summer when Ratcliffe can appoint who he feels can take the club forward. All this means they are pretty hamstrung in January when they could begin to make the changes they want and the picture is further complicated by money.

Like many clubs, United only really have the budget for loans this month. This seriously restricts the calibre of player they want and instead they have had to focus on getting rid of the likes of Jadon Sancho and Donny van de Beek on loan.

They have much work to do and in addition to adding some much-needed firepower to their attack, they need a new midfield. Casemiro, who turns 32 next month, is expected to leave in the summer and Bruno Fernandes continues to disappoint and frustrate.

Scott McTominay sums up their struggles in midfield and the Scotland international is their joint-second top scorer with six after United were ready to let him go in the summer. McTominay would not have been a regular in any of Fergie’s great sides. United need a Liverpool-style midfield revamp and the question is can Ratcliffe deliver?