Preceding Sunday’s FA Cup quarterfinal encounter at Old Trafford, the sides’ divergent fortunes are striking. With one trophy under its belt and three more in the bag, Liverpool is dominating the Premier League. While all is going on, United is struggling to salvage its season, and with rumors surrounding manager Erik ten Hag’s future and significant changes to the team’s operations, the stakes are very high for him. Jim Ratcliffe, the new co-owner, is eager to return United to winning ways. There is a new CEO on board. There is a new sporting director on board. It’s unclear how far down the chain Ratcliffe is willing to travel in order to achieve success.
