Exclusive: Manchester United have manager plan in place as Sir Jim Ratcliffe confirms his stance on Erik ten Hag

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Manchester United’s co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is already a dominant figure at Old Trafford, but he like fellow owners The Glazers – won’t decide the future of Erik ten Hag.

Ten Hag’s future is in major doubt, and his near two-and-a-half year tenure at the club could be about to come to an end.

Ten Hag takes his side, currently languishing in the bottom-half of the table, to in-form Aston Villa on Sunday and defeat in Birmingham could have severe ramifications for the Dutchman as the Premier League heads into another international window.

United sources have confirmed to TBR Football that Ratcliffe himself will be at Villa Park to see United in action and he is then expected to meet with the footballing team at Carrington at the start of the week.

Ratcliffe was asked about Ten Hag on his future, as he was in Barcelona sporting another of his sporting enterprises – his sailing team Ineos Grenadier Britannia, as they booked their spot in the America’s Cup.

“I like Erik. I think he’s a very good coach but at the end of the day it’s not my call,” Ratcliffe told BBC Sport.

“It’s the management team that’s running Manchester United that have to decide how we best run the team in many different respects.

“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.”

• READ MORE – What members of Manchester United's hierarchy think about the standard of Erik ten Hag's training

Dan Ashworth to make final Erik ten Hag call

Ratcliffe, though, won’t be the decision maker when it comes to Ten Hag and his job, TBR Football understands that the final decision will rest with sporting director Dan Ashworth.

Ashworth heads up the football department, but does work closely with CEO Omar Berrada and technical director Jason Wilcox.

There is also Ractcliffe’s right-hand man at the club in the shape of Sir Dave Brailsford, he is Ineos’ director of sport and is on the club’s board along with Jean-Claude Blanc, who is Ineos sports’ CEO.

Between them all Ten Hag’s future will be decided, as it was in the summer when they opted to keep him – but despite the extension, TBR Football is told that they will remove him if that is deemed the right thing to do.

United considering options but Inzaghi hasn’t been offered job

United are being linked with a host of names but having done their due diligence in the summer on potential replacements and talking to a host of candidates, it is believed they would know who they want.

However, reports from Italy that Inter Milan boss Simone Inzaghi had been offered the United job, has been denied by sources at Old Trafford.

• READ MORE – Owen Hargreaves on what he found especially 'ridiculous' in Manchester United's draw at Porto

TBR Football has previously confirmed that former English boss Gareth Southgate is considered the leading contenders by sources we have spoken to, but Thomas Tuchel and Thomas Frank, both of whom were spoken to in the summer are also believed to be of interest to the club.

Nothing, though, will be decided before the weekend when United travel to Villa and it looks a daunting task for Ten Hag and his team with Unai Emery’s side coming into the game off the back of the biggest win in their recent history after they beat Bayern Munich on Wednesday evening.