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Journalist Ben Jacobs has provided a massive update on INEOS’ managerial plans and the future of under-fire coach, Erik ten Hag.

It is reported that both Manchester United and Chelsea harbour an interest in Brighton manager, Roberto De Zerbi, should they decide to part ways with their respective coaches, Erik ten Hag and Mauricio Pochettino, at the end of the season.

Writing in his column for Fabrizio Romano’s Daily Briefing, Jacobs claimed “Erik ten Hag and Mauricio Pochettino are in quite similar positions. The aim of both clubs is to judge them at the end of the season, but each manager has an important stretch of games coming up that could prove defining for their futures.”

It is also stated that in spite of the increasing pressure building around the United manager’s position after a dismal derby day defeat, “Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS want to be fair to ten Hag and take some time to assess him”.

“Neither club [United or Chelsea] is in a rush to make a decision about their manager, and part of the reason for that is that not many top candidates would want to join at this stage of the season”.

However, it is public knowledge that Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Liverpool are all also searching for a new manager this summer, so the Red Devils do not have the luxury of time, should they decide to pull the trigger on the former Ajax man.

The Mancunian side have a list of potential options as they “rate [Sporting head coach Ruben] Amorim and De Zerbi. Zinedine Zidane and potentially [Graham] Potter could be considered should a change be made. But Ratcliffe and his team aren’t actively interviewing candidates just yet.

“Instead they are intent to make executive hires first rather than change the manager. The feeling is it’s counter-productive to resolve the future of ten Hag or way or the other before first finalising a sporting director, with Dan Ashworth close to joining and Southampton’s Jason Wilcox also being targeted in addition”.

Ratcliffe seems to have learned that the biggest issue at the club has always been structural and without a solid base, no manager in world football will be successful.

Pundits and fans are keen to point out the successes of Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp but both coaches have also benefitted from top drawer support at executive level. Something United hope they are remedying with the appointments of Omar Berrada and potentially Dan Ashworth.

Finally, the Dutchman currently in the Old Trafford hotseat is aware that he has “no guarantees of job security” but neither is anyone lined up behind him ready to take his job in an instant.

Like many high level figures in the club, “he’s aware he’s being judged in the coming weeks and months, as part of the Sir Dave Brailsford-led strategic review”.