The public backing for Erik ten Hag by new Manchester United chief executive Omar Berrada and sporting director Dan Ashworth is consistent with the support given to the manager since Ineos extended his contract this summer. But it may come at a price.
United have signed £200million-worth of new players – two of whom, Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui, worked under Ten Hag at Ajax – and tailored his backroom staff by bringing in Dutch assistants Ruud van Nistelrooy and Rene Hake, as well as goalkeeper coach Jelle ten Rouwelaar.
One of the main reasons Ten Hag kept his job was because Ineos recognised that it was unfair to judge the 54-year-old when the infrastructure around him was deemed to be flawed.