Former Manchester United star believes Erik ten Hag can turn things around at the Old Trafford club if he makes one key change
Former Manchester United striker Louis Saha has backed Erik ten Hag to turn things around at Old Trafford, following a sub-par start to the 2024-25 season. The Red Devils began the campaign with a 1-0 win over Fulham at home. Things have since deteriorated, though, as they have been dealt consecutive losses.
A late goal by Brighton & Hove Albion at the AMEX Stadium saw the Red Devils throw away a point, losing 2-1. On September 1, Ten Hag's men were no match for Liverpool, who dealt them a 3-0 beating in front of their home fans at Old Trafford.
The situation does not bode well for the manager, who led Manchester United to their lowest-ever eighth-place finish last season and nearly lost his job. He did, however, win the FA Cup. Louis Saha has now backed him to turn it around, telling Paddy Power (via DAZN):
“Erik ten Hag could turn things around for sure. He has the quality and he’s a manager that will want to improve. He has staff to help him in that. Some players fought hard. The game was tough, but Liverpool are a great side at exposing your weaknesses, including the weaknesses from the manager.”
Saha urged Ten Hag to be more willing to listen, rather than stay stubborn:
“[But] when you repeat the same mistakes and communication errors, it’s difficult to see Ten Hag trying to understand what he needs to change. When anyone says something to him, he seems defensive and doesn’t take on board what people say to him. He doesn’t listen to any pundits or other people in football – he's stubborn."
Erik ten Hag will be hoping he can turn things around quickly. With clubs now on international break, he will look to find a solution to improve their league standing in the coming months.
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag backed by club hierarchy despite Liverpool loss
CEO Omar Berrada has made it clear that the Manchester United hierarchy have chosen to back Erik ten Hag despite the loss to Liverpool. With the Red Devils are going through troubles on the pitch, Ten Hag's position as manager has begun to seem untenable.
However, Berrada believes that the Dutch tactician has what it takes to lead the club towards results and trophies, as he said (via Sky Sports):
"Do we still believe in Erik? Absolutely. We think Erik is the right coach for us and we're fully backing him."
Erik ten Hag will be pleased that he still has the hierarchy's backing, despite a troubling start to the season. Time will tell if he can turn things around and secure a long-term contract at the Manchester United dugout.