Man Utd: Ten Hag sack claim made as pundit insists Dutchman ‘won’t be near’ Old Trafford next season
Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag “won’t be near” the Old Trafford “hot seat next year” after their loss to Chelsea, according to ESPN pundit Craig Burley.
After winning the Carabao Cup during a promising first campaign in charge at Man Utd, things have gone downhill this term and the Red Devils’ hopes of returning to the continent’s top competition are fading.
Burley: Talk of Man Utd making the top four ‘was a pipe dream’
Thursday’s trip to Chelsea represented one of nine matches remaining for sixth-placed Man Utd, who are 11 points behind Aston Villa in fourth and nine behind Tottenham in what could prove a fifth and final qualification spot.
Saturday’s alarming 1-1 draw at Brentford and yesterday’s 4-3 loss to Chelsea provided the latest blows to their Champions League hopes in a poor season that has seen Ten Hag’s men ravaged by injuries.
It is understood that new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS will judge Ten Hag at the end of the season but there are reports that recent performances have not pleased the British billionaire.
And ESPN pundit Burley, who used to play for Celtic and Scotland, doesn’t think Ten Hag will be at Man Utd at the start of next season.
READ MORE: Ten Hag worse than Moyes as Man Utd dealt Sir Alex Ferguson ‘retribution’ vs Chelsea
Burley said on ESPN: “Erik ten Hag again, I don’t think there’s much debate that Ineos are just going to…
“Talk about the top four, even with a win at Stamford Bridge tonight I think was a forlorn expectation, that that was a pipe dream sort of stuff, they’re never getting anywhere near the top four and he [Erik ten Hag] won’t be near this Manchester United hot seat next year, I don’t think.”
Ten Hag urged his Man Utd team to “make better decisions” in the aftermath of their match against Chelsea with a late double from Cole Palmer defeating the Red Devils.
“We started poor, making individual errors,” Ten Hag said in his post-match press conference. “But I had the feeling we were dominating and we fought ourselves back.
“We were in a winning position with very good football and scoring great goals. Then in stoppage time, we didn’t bring the win over the line.
Ten Hag: You have to do your job, you have to make the right decisions
“You have to do your job, you have to make the right decisions, and we didn’t react quick enough to avoid this situation.
“We dominated the game, especially our wide players were a danger: Garnacho, Antony.
“We have to make better decisions. You saw how we score from counters. We can be such a massive threat and we’ve seen again today an example.
“But we have to read when to keep the ball, especially when you are winning. Keep the ball, pass and move and switch the play instead of giving it way.”
