Soccer-Ten Hag not in need of assurances over Man Utd future
Feb 28 (Reuters) - Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag said he does not require promises of job security from new co-owner Jim Ratcliffe amid uncertainty over his future, adding that he is focused on ensuring the club continues to progress and improve.
Ten Hag was hired in 2022 and guided United to a third-place finish in the Premier League as well as the League Cup title in his first season, but their current campaign has been less convincing.
United's season has been plagued by inconsistent performances and injury woes, with the Manchester club in sixth place after their 2-1 league loss to Fulham on Saturday.
The defeat, which came just three days after Ratcliffe vowed to bring United back to their glory days, added to the intense scrutiny and pressure on Ten Hag.
Asked whether it would benefit the club for Ratcliffe to publicly confirm Ten Hag as United's long-term manager, the Dutchman told reporters: "I'm under contract for three seasons, so I don't care.
"I am in this process, I'm only focusing on the process, so I don't care what's going on around me," Ten Hag added, speaking ahead of a fifth-round FA Cup tie at Nottingham Forest on Wednesday.
"I have many talks with Sir Jim Radcliffe, also with Sir Dave Brailsford and others in that group, so I know what we are talking about and I have a strong belief and I feel that they believe in me.
"I want to win every game. I know I'm in a process, I know what I'm doing. I focus on those two points - progress of the team in this moment and the next game, and to think about the future, and to do that in togetherness." (Reporting by Shifa Jahan in Bengaluru; Editing by Michael Perry)
