Ten Hag given Man Utd ‘stay of execution’, £40m striker would have made all the difference

Will Ford
Erik ten Hag looks nervous on the touchline during the Aston Villa v Manchester United game
Erik ten Hag on the touchline.

Joe Cole believes Erik ten Hag will be at Manchester United “for the foreseeable” and things would going much better for him had the club signed a £40m striker in the summer.

Ten Hag is under significant pressure with United 14th in the Premier League having won just two of their opening seven games of the season.

Many thought he may be given the boot in the international break but the Red Devils chiefs have decided to give him more time to turn things around having handed him a one-year extension in the summer.

Cole believes Ten Hag’s position will soon be “untenable” with the Dutchman given a “stay of execution” at Old Trafford.

“For Manchester United, if the manager that the board are wanting to bring in to replace Erik ten Hag was available, then I think they would have done so,” Cole added.

“But I feel like because they haven’t done it by now, that would suggest to me that he’ll be staying at Old Trafford for the foreseeable. Erik ten Hag has got another stay of execution, so the results must pick up.

“Earlier this week, we saw Gareth Southgate mention that he didn’t want to coach anywhere for at least a year after leaving England, so it must be a strategic move from INEOS, where either the person they want isn’t available, or they want to persist with Ten Hag.

“Regardless, this gives the manager another chance, and he’ll be hoping that he can get his players back fit from the international break, he gets some players returning from injury, but he needs to start winning, because if he doesn’t, then we’ll get to the point where his position will be untenable.

“There’s a lot of pressure on him from the fans, but I think he’s dodged a bullet by not getting the sack because I think if they would have done it, it would have been done already.”

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United have scored just five goals in seven Premier League games and with both Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund misfiring, Cole believes they missed a trick in not going after Ivan Toney in the summer.

Toney swapped Brentford for Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli in a £40m move on deadline day, but Cole insists he would have been the ideal striker for Ten Hag’s side.

“Manchester United got gun-shy in the transfer window,” ex-England star Cole told Paddy Power. “I think Ivan Toney is a cracking player, and he is exactly what Manchester United need. His personality can comfortably play for a top side.

“It’s smart from United to take stock and when you’ve got a manager at the helm who’s indifferent, you might really fancy another manager to come in and they might want another striker.

“Then you’ve got to get another player out to get another one in so it’s smart business but if I was Manchester United and had the job tomorrow, I would’ve said, ‘I need Ivan Toney’ and I would’ve made it happen.”