BREAKING NEWS: Sir Jim Ratcliffe has cautioned new Manchester United manager Ruud van Nistelrooy against using a specific player, stating, “That player was the reason we dismissed Erik ten Hag, and I have advised Ruud not to play him. If he disregards this directive, it could end his tenure as well.”

Erik ten Hag has become the fifth manager to be dismissed by Manchester United in the past decade, with the club’s new leadership reportedly dissatisfied with his recent performance. Although the Dutchman managed to secure two trophies over two seasons, last season saw United achieve their lowest Premier League finish in recent years. Following an end-of-season review, the new board decided to retain him over the summer.

However, Ten Hag’s struggle continued into the current season, with only three wins out of his first nine league games. This underwhelming start led the board to relieve him of his duties after 128 games as head coach. Former United star Ruud van Nistelrooy will now serve as the interim manager while the search for a permanent replacement is underway.

Van Nistelrooy marks the ninth individual to lead the club, temporarily or permanently, since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013, joining a list that includes former players like Ryan Giggs, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and Michael Carrick.

This transition comes amid significant changes within the club’s administration. Earlier this month, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who is overseeing many of these reforms, informed Sir Alex Ferguson that he would step down as club ambassador at the end of the season.

This move is seen as part of a broader cost-cutting initiative that has already included 250 staff layoffs. Despite these measures, Ratcliffe, 72, has voiced a desire for United to pursue a vision of a renovated Old Trafford with a 100,000-seat capacity, though he clarified that first-team managerial decisions do not fall under his purview.

When questioned on Ten Hag’s future, Ratcliffe described the coach as talented but deferred the decision to the United management team. Ratcliffe has also spearheaded a restructuring of the boardroom, replacing several long-standing members with new leadership figures.

In January, former Manchester City executive Omar Berrada joined as CEO, while technical director Jason Wilcox was brought in from Southampton, and Dan Ashworth from Newcastle became the new sporting director. The cost of Ten Hag’s departure is estimated to be around £17 million in compensation.

Additional board members include Ineos executives Sir Dave Brailsford, Jean-Claude Blanc, and Christopher Vivell, the latter serving as the director of global talent. Ratcliffe, explaining his role in the club’s managerial restructuring, urged the board to “take stock and make sensible decisions,” emphasizing the goal of restoring Manchester United to a position of top-tier status.