Ten Hag sack: Man Utd told to axe ‘delusional’ and ‘dreary’ Dutchman as top candidate is named

Erik ten Hag is in serious danger of the Manchester United sack

Manchester United have been warned they have no choice but to sack Erik ten Hag, with the Dutchman told he does not have the personality to lead the club and having taken them backwards, and with one of the club’s iconic former stars naming the man he sees as the outstanding choice to succeed him.

It’s been a season to forget so far for Ten Hag and Manchester United, who appear to have stumbled from one crisis to another under the 54-year-old coach. With the club currently on track to record their lowest-ever points tally in the Premier League, their prospects of sealing a return to the Champions League have long since evaporated, while they may even miss out on European football altogether.

That season reached a new nadir on Monday night when Crystal Palace thumped them 4-0 at Selhurst Park in a result which did not flatter the Eagles, who were the better side from first minute to last and effectively played the Red Devils off the park.

As a result, voices suggesting Ten Hag needs removing from his job have grown louder as a result, with two former United stars leading those calls and with a surprise interim replacement named.

Incredibly, United can still salvage something from the wreckage their season has become if they can somehow find a way past Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in the FA Cup final on May 25, which would not only put a piece of silverware in the trophy room, but also book the club a place in next season’s Europa League.

However, there is a school of thought growing that suggests even in winning the famous old trophy will not spare him from the sack.

Former Sir Alex Ferguson ally turns on Ten Hag

To that end, the future of the Dutchman is currently the subject of an in-depth audit performed by United’s newly-appointed technical director Jason Wilcox, who will decide if the club should stick or twist on the Dutchman’s reign.

With a year left on a three-year deal it would still cost the Red Devils an estimated £7m in compensation were the axe to fall this summer.

Even so, former United No 2, Rene Meulensteen believes Ten Hag could have few complaints were he to be sacked with the club having done backwards under him this season and with a lack of tactics being badly exposed of late.

“It is really incomprehensible what is happening now. There is simply no progress whatsoever,” Meulensteen, who worked under Sir Alex Ferguson from 2007 to 2013, said to NOS when asked about Ten Hag.

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“You know, as a new trainer you always have to deal with a selection that you have not put together yourself. So, it takes a few transfer periods before you get the players you want. I always say: a trainer needs eighteen months to get it right. to get on track.

“But now there is none of that optimism left. There is no playing style, club culture or philosophy. If you look at the statistics… it doesn’t make any sense. Manchester United has a goal difference of minus three!

“That (boycotting media) is really not smart. The media of course have the right to ask questions. They also see what kind of results are on the board, such as the 4-0 against Crystal Palace. Then it is logical that they ask critical questions.

“There are now just too many players who are either too old or not good enough. Or boys who have the wrong attitude.”

Ten Hag sack: Teddy Sheringham names ideal replacement

United are reportedly considering the merits of a number of coaches who could succeed Ten Hag in the dug-out, though in the last few days, it is Thomas Tuchel – set to leave Bayern Munich at the season’s end – who has emerged as the leading candidate to take the role.

However, iconic former United striker, Teddy Sheringham – a Treble winner with the club in 1999 – doesn’t think the German has the right qualities to lead United, instead championing the cause of current Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi.

“I’m not convinced by Thomas Tuchel, especially if he’s getting bombed out of Bayern Munich,” Sheringham told Genting.

“We knew he was leaving two months ago because of how poor Bayern have been in the Bundesliga, so why would you want him coming to the club? He’s hardly buzzing with confidence. Bayern had won eleven titles on the spin, and with Tuchel in charge for a full season, they are finishing second. That’s not an ideal appointment for me.

“It’s a tough one. I still like Roberto De Zerbi. I think he has done well at Brighton again this season under difficult circumstances. They’ve sold a lot of quality players over the seasons, that’s the model they have there, and I’m not sure that they’ve reinvested that money to keep the team on the same level as last season.

“I’m still looking at him and thinking he could have the ability to manager Manchester United. He seems a little bit temperamental, but I quite like his ethics and the way he speaks about football and plays the game.

“He wants his teams to play in a certain way and you can tell that he loves football. I like his optimistic view of football and I like the way his teams play.”

Time to sack Ten Hag has arrived

Sheringham, though, is adamant the time has come for United to axe their manager and has called on Sir Jim Ratcliffe to not be afraid of making the tough call.

“I know it’s tough when you’re losing games as a manager – I’ve been there – you lose one; concede a late goal in the last minute; lose another one. You’re saying the same things to the players and the same things to the press… I just don’t see any improvement in any area under Erik ten Hag.

“When you look at the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City, even Liverpool to a lesser extent, their players are playing with full confidence; they understand what the manager wants, and they deliver that. Those are well-oiled teams.

“When you look at Man Utd, it looks broken. The team is fractured. One person is closing down, the other one is sitting off. It’s all over the place and it just doesn’t look right. That is down to the manager.

On Ten Hag’s reign, Sheringham has explained why Ten Hag does not have the personality to lead United.

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“It starts with the leadership. If your leader, the manager, is not leading in the right way, other people follow that standard. Ten Hag isn’t leading from the front,” Sheringham continued.

“I know he’s had some difficult decisions to make with certain players, but for some reason he just doesn’t come across with the personality required to take Manchester United forward. He doesn’t have the personality.

“It’s all a little bit dreary. He’s trying to pull the wool over the eyes of the journalists when he says that the club are doing well and controlled the game – what game is he watching? It’s delusional. He’s giving out the wrong vibes as the leader of Manchester United.”