ERIK'S LEAKY BOAT STAYS AFLOAT

But America's Cup can't distract Old Trafford chiefs from sinking feeling

-  JEREMY CROSS

SIR JIM RATCLIFFE was riding the crest of a wave last week watching his INEOS Britannia team sail Great Britain into the America's Cup final.

Then he decided to head back to Birmingham to witness the other ship he owns the sinking one called Manchester United.

On the face of it, keeping Aston Villa scoreless to earn a point is a decent result for Erik ten Hag.

That is how far the English giants have fallen.

But the truth is United have now gone five games without a win, three without a league goal and find themselves 14th in the table.

It all adds up to United's worst start to a Premier League season.

Their previous one just happened to come last season, which Ten Hag also masterminded. The Dutchman might earn a stay of execution, who knows? But he should not, because the woeful campaign he has overseen so far all points to an expensive team heading rapidly backwards.