Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag brutally shut down after surprise Sir Jim Ratcliffe U-turn

Erik ten Hag has been brutally shut down after claiming Manchester United are eyeing the Premier League title after winning two major trophies in his first two years as manager. Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS performed a surprise U-turn to keep faith in Ten Hag this summer, and the Dutchman is planning progression at the start of a new era.

United were widely expected to hand him his marching orders after overseeing a record-low eighth-place finish in the Premier League.

The Red Devils also endured a Champions League nightmare, finishing rock bottom of Group A after managing just one win in six games against Bayern Munich, Copenhagen and Galatasaray.

But a shock FA Cup triumph against Manchester City – adding to the Carabao Cup of the 2022/23 season – seemingly saved Ten Hag’s job.

And he now has his sights set on the biggest honours ahead of a high-pressure campaign, in which improvement will be mandatory.

“United didn’t win, in over six years, a trophy. Now we won two, but we are up for more, for higher titles, like the English title and then even more, going into Europe,” Ten Hag explained earlier in July.

The 54-year-old has splashed £88.5million on two new signings so far this summer – Bologna striker Joshua Zirkzee and Lille centre-back Leny Yoro.

He reportedly also wants a left-sided defender, a right-back and a central midfielder but is relying on further player sales to free up funds.

Despite his high ambitions to restore United’s status as Premier League champions for the first time since 2013, Ally McCoist has told him to forget it.

He told talkSPORT BET: “What Manchester United fans were watching last season was nowhere near good enough. They finished eighth.

“Even though they’ve given Erik ten Hag his new contact and already brought in a couple of new faces, change is still required, and they’re going to have to spend correctly.

“They need a little bit of luck with injuries as well. It’s not an excuse, but you have to mention the fact that their injuries were horrendous last year.

“I would be hopeful for United that they can make a steady improvement. But I don’t think they’ll be anywhere near winning the Premier League.

“For United fans, that’s clearly what they want, and that’s where they need to be, but I don’t see that happening next season.

“As long as the supporters see a balanced improvement in their team and the club heading in the right direction, that will satisfy a lot more of them. They need to see hope and positivity for the future.”