Ex-Liverpool man feels Erik ten Hag's Manchester United tenure 'won't end well' after Jadon Sancho saga
Former Liverpool fullback Jose Enrique has shared his thoughts on Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag and his falling out with Jadon Sancho.
Ten Hag joined the Red Devils the previous summer and led them to third place in the Premier League and a Carabao Cup in his first season with the club. They have started this season poorly, losing two of their first four games.
For United's 3-1 defeat at Arsenal before the international break, Sancho didn't even make the squad. When asked about his absence, Ten Hag raised concerns over the winger's performance in training. Sancho, however, retaliated in a statement on social media, falsifying the Dutch manager's claims.
Enrique believes that this incident along with poor results could potentially lead to Ten Hag's sacking. He told Grosvenor Sport (via Express):
“I don’t think things are going to end well for Erik ten Hag at Manchester United. I loved the way he handled things last season, but with the Jadon Sancho situation this season, I don’t know why he did what he did in putting the whole dressing room against him."
He also said:
“I have a feeling that Ten Hag won’t be sacked this season, but in the future he will be sacked before the likes of Mauricio Pochettino at Chelsea. After a very good season last season I expected Manchester United to be in a much better position at the moment."
"Obviously there have been other factors like the Jadon Sancho situation which Erik ten Hag spoke publicly about, as well as the Antony situation.”
While Sancho's situation is still unclear, Antony has also been temporarily suspended due to allegations of harassment and violence. Hence, Ten Hag will have some concern over his attacking options.
Manchester United's 2023-24 season so far
The Red Devils have multiple off-field issues but they will also be concerned by their on-pitch performances so far this season.
Manchester United began the 2023-24 season with a 1-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford. However, they were vastly outplayed by the visitors and also escaped a controversial penalty decision.
They then lost 2-0 at Tottenham Hotspur. They found themselves 2-0 down after just five minutes against Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford in their next game. But they rallied well to win 3-2.
Manchester United then visited Arsenal and took a 1-0 lead in the 27th minute but it was canceled out within 35 seconds by the hosts. The Gunners then scored twice in stoppage time to win 3-1.
Erik ten Hag's side are currently 11th in the Premier League table and will next host Brighton & Hove Albion on September 16.