Man Utd: Ten Hag ‘will sacked before Christmas’ after INEOS give ‘noticeable’ sign they don’t fancy him
Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag will be sacked before Christmas unless the Red Devils show big improvements in performances, according to former Arsenal striker Alan Smith.
After an encouraging first season at the helm, hopes were high that Ten Hag could deliver a further improvement by pushing on towards the top of the Premier League.
However, Man Utd went in the opposite direction last season, finishing eighth in the Premier League with speculation rife that Ten Hag was facing the sack at the end of the season.
A lack of suitable candidates and an unexpected FA Cup final victory over arch-rivals Man City appeared to save his job with the Wembley victory giving Man Utd qualification into this season’s Europa League.
Despite several big summer signings, Ten Hag’s side have started this campaign in poor form with their opening weekend win over Fulham followed by back-to-back defeats to Brighton and Liverpool.
The 3-0 home loss to Arne Slot’s side got alarm bells ringing among the fanbase with pundits and former players questioning why Ten Hag has failed to install a style of play after over two years at the club.
And former Arsenal striker Smith is convinced that Ten Hag won’t last until Christmas unless something drastic changes in their performances and results.
Smith told casinoapps.com: “If Manchester United’s performances continue in this vein, I don’t think that Erik ten Hag will be in a job at Christmas. From what we’ve seen of Manchester United so far, there aren’t too many signs that things are going to change.
“Manuel Ugarte is coming in, you would imagine he’ll be a plus point, but I’m not sure.
“Everything feels quite volatile at the club. It’s never a good sign when your manager is fighting back against journalists in press conferences; he keeps quoting the two cup wins in the last two years.
“Lots of clubs would have liked to have won those, but you judge a team by their league standing and there’s nothing really to suggest that Manchester United are going to be any better than they were last season.
“Everything is on a knife-edge after three games, which is a crazy situation. Manchester United spoke to a lot of managers before the exercised Erik ten Hag’s one-year extension clause.
“I think its noticeable that they didn’t give him another three years. They just gave him another year, and that tells you something about what they’re thinking.
“I think there might be some movement before Christmas at United, unless he can quickly get things together.”
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But former CBS Sports reporter Ben Jacobs reckons sacking Ten Hag would represent “a knee jerk reaction” from INEOS after months of backing the Man Utd boss.
Jacobs told GiveMeSport: “Dan Ashworth and Omar Berrada have both come out and said they’re backing the manager, and there is no suggestion at this point that that’s the sort of ‘dreaded vote of confidence’.
“The feeling from the newer executives at Manchester United is that Erik ten Hag will benefit from this project, and it’s only one window in.
“They’ve backed him with five senior signings and more money than they originally planned for, but also backroom staff including Ruud van Nistelrooy.
“So to undo all of that is not just potentially replacing Ten Hag, but it’s also undermining the structure that has been put in place – and this is why a few bad results are not going to prompt, at this point, a knee jerk reaction.”
