'We are not happy!' - Man Utd chief admits owners are angered by start to new season as pressure mounts on Erik ten Hag

There has been much speculation over manager Erik ten Hag’s future after United got off to their worst start in Premier League history in the 2024-25 campaign. Until last Saturday’s 2-1 home victory over Brentford, the Red Devils were 14th in the league and had done five games without a win across all competitions.

The INEOS group, headed by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, and the Glazer family held a board meeting during the international break to discuss the future of the Dutch coach. While the meeting did not yield any major decisions, Red Devils’ chief communications officer Tony Craig has revealed that the owners are not particularly pleased with the team’s poor start to the season.

Speaking at a fan forum, Craig said: "Clearly we are not happy with the men's first team's start to the season and results are not where we want them to be. There is a huge amount of change going on. We believe we came out of the summer transfer window with a stronger squad, but it's one that is still evolving with a number of younger players who will keep getting better.

"So there have been changes on the pitch, but also off the pitch with Dan Ashworth and Jason Wilcox joining the club. They are transforming our sporting structure off the pitch. We know there's still a lot to do. The women's first team has started its season well, with a 100 per cent record so far in the WSL. Whilst the main focus of the fans' forum has always been on fan issues, we will endeavour to keep the forum briefed on football developments and provide access to football leadership from time to time."

After a morale-boosting win against the Bees, the Premier League giants are now gearing up to face former manager Jose Mourinho as they meet Fenerbahce in the Europa League on Thursday.