According to Gary Neville, Erik ten Hag’s future at Manchester United doesn’t appear to be promising.
Gary Neville worried for Erik ten Hag at Man Utd. (Image: GETTY/SKY SPORTS)
Gary Neville worries that Erik ten Hag is going through the kind of “breakdown” that has been typical of Manchester United managers close to the end of their tenure since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement. Ten Hag’s firing this summer appears more and more likely as INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe consider whether to start over as part of major adjustments at Old Trafford.
After United’s lackluster 2-2 draw at AFC Bournemouth on Saturday, their current awful run of results has seen them win just one of their last seven Premier League games.
At the Vitality Stadium, the visitors fell behind twice before captain Bruno Fernandes came to their rescue with a brace just before halftime.
With just a few games left, Aston Villa’s 2-0 victory at Arsenal on Sunday effectively eliminated United’s hopes of finishing in the top four this season, creating a 15-point deficit.
If England places second in the coefficient ranking this season, they could earn five spots in the Champions League. Tottenham Hotspur, in fifth place, leads United by ten points, though.
Due to their poor play, the Red Devils have dropped to seventh place. Newcastle United, who defeated Spurs 4-0 over the weekend, is now ahead on goal differential.
Neville also expressed his surprise at how low his former club is playing and expressed concern that there are many indications of Ferguson’s failed successors emerging once more.
“There’s nothing more to say, we’ve seen it all before, it is a repeat of what we’ve seen over the last six, seven, eight years,” Neville stated to Sky Sports.
“There seems to be that kind of breakdown at the end for managers at Manchester United who are in their second or third seasons.
“The performance levels are what matter most. The main concern is that both Brentford and Bournemouth have demonstrated extremely low performance levels.
“But it is a sort of bizarre experience watching United play in terms of how bad they can get to in games.”
Subsequently, the 49-year-old stated on the Gary Neville Podcast that Ten Hag’s team’s Premier League chances of improvement were slim to none.
He said that the Dutchman’s team has given up, especially when playing away from home, which could cause a disappointing campaign to end, possibly outside of the European spots.
Ahead of Ten Hag’s semi-final matchup with Coventry City at Wembley on Sunday, Neville stated that it is probably either the FA Cup or nothing. But even with the renowned trophy lifted in 2016, Louis van Gaal was not saved.
