Manchester United have decided Erik ten Hag will NOT be sacked ahead of the FA Cup final, but have made a major decision over his long-term future – while five Red Devils stars are under the spotlight after reportedly were described as “unprofessional” by the Dutchman.
Ten Hag has overseen a disastrous campaign for Manchester United, with the club now having no chance of qualifying for the Champions League and currently on course to claim their lowest ever points total in Premier League history League. Their season plummeted to a desperate new low on Monday night as Crystal Palace put them to the sword at a buzzing Selhurst Park, with Michael Olise running the show and scoring twice for Oliver’s ever-improving Eagles Glasner.
And with new minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe having currently commissioned technical director Jason Wilcox to carry out a thorough audit into whether the Dutchman should continue in charge for a third season, calls for him to be removed as manager have now reached their peak. paroxysm.
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These calls for his immediate dismissal as coach were led by two former players, Michael Owen and Paul Scholes, both of whom were appalled by what they witnessed on Monday evening.
And a worried Owen believes Ratcliffe must wield the ax with immediate effect, calling for current United number two Steve McClaren to be handed the role until the end of the season and ensure that they can salvage some joy from their wreckage of the season. in the FA Cup final on May 25 against Manchester City at Wembley.
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“I’ve been saying for a long time that Ten Hag is not the right man for this job, I’ve been saying that for ages,” Owen said. Premier League Productions after United’s Selhurst Park hammering.
“He cannot, simply cannot, manage the team next season.
“I almost wonder now if they have a cup final and a few important games that might or might not mean European football next year.
“At some point you have to make a decision, they are going to be completely hammered by Manchester City (in the FA Cup final), they are going to be wiped out, in fact Arsenal will tear them to pieces at Old Trafford, Newcastle will probably beat them and I wouldn’t even want them to go to Brighton either. They might get nothing out of the rest of the season by playing like that.
“I just wonder there’s so much at stake, even if it’s only for four games, I wonder if the board should just try to do something here and now and be quite radical on this subject.
“He cannot, simply cannot, manage this team next season. He’s not good enough. I’ve been thinking about it for ages, and he’s just not good enough to manage Manchester United.
When it was suggested that Ten Hag’s assistant McClaren should replace him on an interim basis, Owen replied: “They need to try something different.” Nothing. Yes.”
Explaining how he could stop the rot, Owen added: “We played under Steve McClaren, he coached us, there’s no way his fingerprints are anywhere near that team.
“He’s a brilliant, brilliant coach and this team is not coachable at all. No way Steve McClaren is the first team coach.
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Scholes then added: “That suggests to me he’s not touching this team. The manager (Ten Hag) must not let him touch this team, I don’t think.
“Everyone thinks we were a great team that attacked everyone and picked on people, sometimes we played better teams and Steve McClaren would put in better sessions to make sure we stopped the other teams , getting the right distances, getting the right angles, especially in the center of midfield, throughout the midfield.
“And he has no impression on this team (Ten Hag). He’s the best coach I’ve ever had.
Owen then said of McClaren: “He’s a brilliant, brilliant coach. There’s no way he had anything to do with coaching this team. It’s impossible. Because this team is absolutely clueless, from start to finish. I don’t think there’s anything working in this team. I don’t rate anything about it.
“Steve McClaren is a top operator and I can only think he is there and other people are coaching the first team and he is just a spectator.”
Asked about the chances of McClaren taking charge of United for their final four games, Owen said: “For four games, yeah… anything.
“They’re going to get run out of the stadium by every team playing like that today.
“Manchester City are going to demoralize them at Wembley in front of millions of people, it’s just embarrassing the way they are playing, something has to change, I know it will change this summer but I think it has to change now. There is European football next year is a trophy.
Ten Hag: Fate of Man Utd sacking sealed
Despite these strong calls for its immediate withdrawal, the Today’s telegraph insists Ratcliffe has told Ten Hag he will not be sacked now, with a decision on his future expected to be delayed until the end of the current campaign.
Additionally, while their defeat at Crystal Palace was their 13th defeat of the season – a new record for the Red Devils – it will have the chance to lead the team to the FA Cup final and potentially win a second trophy of his reign.
However, the report adds that many in United’s first team now expect Ten Hag to be sacked this summer and the decision to remove him as manager has already been made once the campaign finished.
As a result, the Ten Hag era at Old Trafford seemingly has just four games left to play – with upcoming home games against Arsenal and Newcastle, before ending their Premier League campaign at Brighton on May 19 – six days before the cup final. .
When asked on Monday if he thought he was the right man to lead the Red DEvils, Ten Hag replied: “Absolutely. If the right players are there, therefore available, then we have a good squad. But we are missing almost the entire back line, so we have problems.
Ten Hag rages at five Man Utd players after Palace defeat
Meanwhile, the Daily Mail claims Ten Hag completely tore his team apart in the Selhurst Park dressing room after their 4-0 hammering, with five players in particular feeling the brunt of his anger.
The Dutchman was reportedly furious at the way United allowed Olise to waltz through their defense to score their opening goal, later admitting as much to the press.
“Professionals should not allow this. This was such an easy gift goal.
“Five players over the ball during a throw-in and it’s not the first time this season.
“I know we have young players, but even young players should learn when they play in the first team, to take responsibility.”
Although Ten Hag did not name the players in question, Jamie Carragher’s analysis for Sky Sports after the match seemed to pinpoint exactly who the embattled Dutchman was referring to.
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Kobbie Mainoo, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Christian Eriksen, Alejandro Garnacho and Mason Mount were the players highlighted by Carragher.
The Sky Sports pundit then criticized Eriksen’s position during the throw-in that led to Olise receiving the ball, saying he would “discuss night and day with Erik ten Hag” that the Dane’s position during the throw-in was wrong.
He then added: “What is Wan-Bissaka doing there, just doing nothing? He could easily enter there (in front of Jean-Phillipe Mateta) and Mainoo can enter there (in front of Olise).
“But once again, leadership, organization, no one takes responsibility. Eriksen is knocked to the ground, Casemiro was just a joke, how can he run that far without anyone coming near him (Olise).
Carragher then said of Mainoo, who has received widespread praise for his performances this season: “He thinks he’s doing a good job, he’s trying to protect himself. You have Wan-Bissaka and Jonny Evans, two experienced players and they have to tell him to move.
