Manchester United are in talks to tie Marc Skinner down to a new contract – perhaps providing clues as to where the club stand on Erik ten Hag.
Skinner's deal with Manchester United's women's team is set to expire at the end of this season and as per The Athletic, has been the subject of fan unrest. Chants and banners have been present at Red Devils games, with Skinner an unpopular figure with some supporters, as he sees his side 15 points off the top of the WSL.
Still, Sir Jim Ratcliffe is to award the 41-year-old with a renewed deal, according to the BBC, with Matt Johnson to become interim head of women's football at the club.
With uncertainty over the future of the men's team, too, there may be a precedence set with Skinner.
Like his equal on the women's team, Ten Hag has endured a tough season and come under criticism from a section of the United support. The Dutchman, it could be argued though, has been given far more leeway, with no such chants from the Old Trafford faithful directed towards him.
There appears to be more support for the men's team manager than the women's: and Ratcliffe choosing to stick by an under-fire boss certainly shows that he's unafraid of making unpopular decisions.
In FourFourTwo's opinion, Ten Hag's future could go either way – but Skinner's future provides a clear insight into the new regime at United, suggesting that regardless of what supporters believe, Ratcliffe won't be making decisions to keep them onside.
Several unpopular ideas have been touted in the past few weeks, such as selling Kobbie Mainoo and appointing a Championship manager.
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Dortmund want Jadon Sancho permanently following his loan, while a midfield partner has been identified for Kobbie Mainoo. Meanwhile, Jurgen Klopp has claimed that Arsenal will beat United later this season.
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