Erik ten Hag's Man Utd sacking debated after Jamie Carragher makes bold prediction
THE BIG DEBATE: Jamie Carragher says he'd be "surprised" if Erik ten Hag sees out the season at Manchester United after their defeat to Liverpool, but do our team agree?
It's a new season but the same old story for Manchester United and Erik ten Hag, as the Dutchman finds his future being openly speculated about just three games into the campaign.
Sunday's 3-0 defeat at home to Liverpool - a Liverpool managed by their own Dutchman who has settled into Anfield life very smoothly in Arne Slot - has taken us right back to where we were for much of 2023-24, with many people doubting whether Ten Hag really has what it takes to succeed at Old Trafford.
One of his long-term critics Jamie Carragher said he'd be "surprised" if Ten Hag sees out the season at United after being given a stay of execution in the summer, but do the Mirror Football team share that view? Here's what they think:
Ben Husband
Back here already are we...who could have possibly seen this coming? Now more than two seasons in, United still have no discernible style under Ten Hag, an issue only amplified when you see what Slot has managed in two months.
Unfortunately, Old Trafford bosses have somewhat backed themselves into a corner after being forced to back the manager after months of very publicly not doing so. It means that any knee-jerk decision will show what a mess that whole process was.
That probably means Ten Hag gets at least a couple of months, expect a few unconvincing wins to keep his head above water. With so many fixtures there's barely any time to make a change, the next break comes in November which could be the time a decision is finally made. But tomorrow, next week or November, it's still a matter of when not if.
David Anderson
Manchester United should have sacked Erik ten Hag at the end of last season whey they bottled it because he won the FA Cup and handed him a new deal. Now they’re back to square one and this time the fans, whose support helped save him, are rapidly losing faith.
United are already six points off the title pace after just three games and it’s hard to see them closing that gap and getting into the mix for the Premier League. But that’s not how United will judge Ten Hag and his target is to qualify for the Champions League, after last season’s dreadful league campaign when they trailed in eighth.
That gives him time and unless United lose a run of games to leave them marooned in the bottom half of the table come Halloween, he can bed in his new team in the hope there will be an upturn in results.
For me, this is all pointless. United measure themselves by league titles and Champions Leagues and they have won neither since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013. That is the goal they ultimately want to achieve and I can’t see Ten Hag leading them there.
David McDonnell
Manchester United will stick with Erik ten Hag for now - but he cannot afford many more afternoons like Sunday if he wants to keep his job.
Looking at the ease with which Liverpool beat United 3-0 at Old Trafford, you wouldn't think Ten Hag had been at United for two years and Arne Slot at Liverpool for just two months. The way United played, it looked as though Ten Hag had just arrived at the club, such was the lack of any discernible style, structure or pattern of play. In a short space of time, Slot has brought his philosophy and identity to Liverpool's style of play, while Ten Hag has yet to do the same in two full seasons at the helm with United.
Ten Hag will point to the fact there is a new regime in charge at United, a new coaching set-up and new players, all of which takes time to operate effectively, but those excuses will wear thin if he cannot turn their season around once the international break is over.
Given United shamelessly canvassed potential successors to Ten Hag over the summer, before ultimately deciding to stick with him, the club's hierarchy cannot have much faith in him, whatever they may say publicly.
That is why Ten Hag could not afford the start to the season that he has had - two defeats in United's opening three games, leaving them down in 14th place in the table and already playing catch-up in the race for a top-four place and a return to the Champions League.
Put simply, Ten Hag has until the next international break in early October to save his job - four Premier League games, two Europa League games and one League Cup tie in a seven-game run that will ultimately define whether he stays or goes.
If he cannot bring about a change in United's fortunes over that spell of games, he is likely to pay the price with his job, despite the public backing of the club's hierarchy, with former England head coach Gareth Southgate and ex-Tottenham and Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino the leading candidates to replace him.
Sam Meade
Carragher is bang on and, in truth, the Dutchman should already be looking for a job. I maintained last year that keeping Ten Hag at Old Trafford was the United hierarchy signing off on a season that saw them finish in eighth, their worst ever Premier League showing. Don't tell me that's how a big or ambitious club acts.
That fact they kept him, effectively due to winning a one-off game at Wembley, suggests there was little direction or conviction with what they were doing. Ten Hag's flaws are still clear to see in the opening games of the season - no style being the most obvious concern.
This idea that the lack of credible replacement means Ten Hag should remain is laughable - and Carragher was right to highlight that point to Gary Neville.
We laud Arsenal for what they've become and how they've improved. They appointed a man in Mikel Arteta who'd never coached a game in 2019 - look where they are he are now. Don't tell me there isn't great - or future great - managers out there. Have enough about you to go find them - I'm just not sure United have it. And they certainly don't have the right man in the dugout at present.
Tom Victor
Manchester United’s ownership didn’t visibly back Erik ten Hag just to sack him after three games, but whether he lasts the season is another matter.
As he embarks on his third season, it’s hard for him to argue he hasn’t been supported in his endeavours. United have spent hundreds of millions of pounds in that time, much of that on Ten Hag’s own targets, and results need to improve if he’s to stick around.
Not only has he brought in plenty of players he knows from his time in the Netherlands, but he’s also added staff from his homeland. That could end up being his downfall, with Ruud van Nistelrooy a ready-made replacement - with top-flight managerial experience and existing club ties - if Sir Jim Ratcliffe et al decide Ten Hag’s time is up.
The manager is likely to be given time to see if his new recruits can fix United’s problems, with Rasmus Hojlund’s injury as much of an issue as Manuel Ugarte’s late arrival. If we’re still having this conversation by the time the next international break rolls around, though, we might be looking at a case of when he goes rather than if.
Darren Lewis
Nobody believes Erik ten Hag will see out the season except Erik ten Hag. United have spent over £200m in the transfer window. They’ve replaced players in almost every position and they’ve given him another season when everyone expected him to be gone after the FA Cup Final win.
But Sunday exposed the defensive weaknesses that are papered over with scraped wins over smaller clubs. Ten Hag boasts about the trophies he has won. But the Carabao Cup and an FA Cup wins can no longer distract eyes away from the glaring issues in midfield, at central defence and up front where United simply don’t have a killer in the mould of a Haaland, a Salah or even a Watkins.
Under Ten Hag, good players lose their form and bad or underachieving players who wouldn’t get into the top three teams keep their United places. It will only get worse from here. Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS are simply delaying the inevitable.
Chris McKenna
Of course there’s a chance that Erik ten Hag won’t see out the season but the same can be said for most managers. Manchester United led a prolonged end-of-season review that ended with INEOS deciding he was still the best man for the job.
If they change their minds after three games what message does that send? That they’ve no belief in their own actions. No courage of their own convictions.
I don’t agree with Carragher that they wanted rid of Ten Hag, they did their due diligence and we will now see if that was the right decision or not. They won’t panic but they and Ten Hag know results will have to improve. A goal ruled out for an unfortunate offside against Brighton could have gone the other way and they’re sitting on six points. Yet we know ifs and buts won’t keep the Dutchman in a job, performances and points will.
United have given Ten Hag a new coaching set up and a new spine to the team. They have to give it until at least December. Southampton away at 12.30pm after an international break has the potential to be a slip up that will really turn the mood toxic, though.
Mark Jones
Someone really should sit Erik ten Hag down at some point and take him through some of the daft things that he comes out with. The way he was carrying on after Sunday's game showed that he must think that was Jurgen Klopp in a bald cap on the sideline next to him and not Liverpool's brand new manager.
Arne Slot has an idea, a tactical plan and no need to rely on specific players to carry out what he wants. Sunday's Old Trafford massacre was just his third game in charge.
Manchester United delayed the inevitable by keeping Ten Hag on last summer when we all know he'd have gone if they'd lost the FA Cup final. He's bought even more new players now so we should at least wait until some of those get on the pitch, but this will all come crashing down at some point soon, probably before the end of the calendar year.
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