‘Not good enough’ – Yorke claims Ten Hag has to be ‘called out’ for worse Man Utd record than Ole
Dwight Yorke thinks Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag should be “called out” for “losing more Premier League games” than Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
The Red Devils have had a solid season under Ten Hag with Man Utd on course for a top-four finish and looking to add FA Cup glory to a League Cup triumph earlier this year,
However, performances over the last month or so have been less convincing with Man Utd going out of the Europa League to Sevilla and throwing away a big lead in the race to qualify for the Champions League.
After losing their last two Premier League matches, fourth-placed Man Utd are now just one point ahead of fifth-placed Liverpool – who have won their last six matches – but do have a game in hand.
With four games left of the season Ten Hag has already lost nine Premier League matches, more than Solskjaer in the 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons, and Yorke reckons it is time for the Man Utd manager to receive some criticism.
Yorke told the Evening Standard: “Erik ten Hag losing nine games in the Premier League does raise some issues.
“If you are a Manchester United manager, you will always be scrutinised for little details or mistakes. There’s nowhere to hide.
“Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had a better record than Ten Hag in his full two seasons managing the club, people talk about the progress we’ve made and the better style of football being played.
“Manchester United have reached the FA Cup final, won the Carabao Cup and made it far in the Europa League so that is progress, but Ten Hag losing more Premier League games than Solskjaer in the 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons has to be called out.
“The results have not been good enough this season, Manchester United are looking over their shoulder and are desperately trying to hold onto fourth place, I’m not sure that’s where the club wants to be.
“Ten Hag gets the praise when the team is playing well, he has to take the criticism when it goes wrong too.”
Former Sky Sports presenter Richard Keys was also critical of Ten Hag earlier this week and insists the Dutchman has to qualify for the Champions League for the season to be a mild success.
“Ten Hag spent a record £220m last summer – more than United have ever spent in one window – to take them precisely…..nowhere,” Keys wrote.
“And he’s run out of excuses. There’s only so many times you can blame players for being ‘unprofessional’, or for not ‘sticking to the game plan’. That talk all wears a bit thin in a dressing room after a while.
“Ten Hag MUST deliver CL football. Nothing else will do.
“If he does – ok – he buys himself another season. If he doesn’t – a League Cup win won’t be enough from this campaign. There was a time when United fans were embarrassed to win that trophy. How times have changed.”
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