Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag may have had the final "nail in the coffin" at the club after Sir Jim Ratcliffe's recent antics, according to former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson.
Ten Hag under pressure at Man Utd
The Dutchman is coming towards the end of his second season at Old Trafford, but after an impressive first season at the club, this has been a really disappointing campaign.
United are currently languishing in seventh place in the Premier League, and while the recent 2-2 draws at home to Liverpool and away to Bournemouth may not have been awful results, the performances in both have been nowhere near good enough.
There is mounting pressure on Ten Hag, with many fans beginning to wonder if he is the right man to lead the club forward under Ratcliffe, ahead of what is hopefully a memorable summer in the transfer market. Graham Potter is just one of numerous candidates reportedly being lined up to replace the former Ajax boss, should he be relieved of his duties.
These remaining weeks of the season feel key for the Dutchman, who continues to flatter to deceive with his all-round management, from his people skills to his tactical nous.
Sky Sports pundit makes big Ten Hag claim
Speaking on Football Insider's Inside Track podcast, Sky Sports pundit Paul Robinson feels that Ten Hag is close to being sacked by Manchester United, with Ratcliffe not having plans for him while looking to make many backroom changes since arriving at the club.
"With the football side of things, you can see that Ratcliffe is putting his own stamp on things. You can see things are changing. You can’t change things on the pitch immediately because of the transfer windows and the manager that’s in charge.
"I just think that with all this restructuring and with Dan Ashworth coming in, Sir David Brailsford, [former Southampton chief] Jason Wilcox – the whole board – I think it’s just another nail in the coffin for ten Hag. He’s not the manager that the board want – he’s not their man. He’s not part of that new team.
"Ten Hag has one big job on his hands before the end of the season – convince the board that he is the right man for the Man United job. At the moment, I don’t see him being there much longer, certainly past the end of the season."
The Bournemouth game was just the latest sign that Ten Hag isn't the right man for the United job, with his side once again giving up at least 20 shots, and generally being outplayed by the Cherries.
The backroom additions that Ratcliffe has made have been exciting ones, but things will only run smoothly if they have the perfect manager in charge to work alongside the new additions seamlessly.
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ByTom CunninghamApr 13, 2024
There is enough evidence this season to suggest that Ten Hag can be improved upon, and unless the season ends superbly – an FA Cup win, for example – it would be the right call to move him on and find a more ideal choice.