"In 3-4 months they’ve got them playing like Real Madrid" - Gary Neville says Erik ten Hag's reputation has been damaged by 2 managers
Manchester United legend Gary Neville believes Erik ten Hag's reputation has taken a hit in the Premier League due to the brilliance of two other managers. The former Red Devils defender highlighted the instant impact of Roberto De Zerbi at Brighton & Hove Albion and Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham Hotspur, albeit on lower budgets.
Ten Hag has come under pressure at Manchester United this season. The Red Devils are currently sit seventh on the Premier League table having lost six of their 14 games in the English top flight so far. They are also bottom of their Champions League group.
On the other hand, De Zerbi from last year and Ange Postecoglou from this season have been earning plaudits from all quarters.
Speaking on his podcast (The Gary Neville Podcast), Gary Neville stated that the impact of these two coaches put Erik ten Hag and other former Manchester United managers' reputations under the scanner.
"What really damages the likes of Erik ten Hag and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Jose Mourinho, they’ve all spent £300 million, £400m but [Roberto] De Zerbi at Brighton, [Ange] Postecoglou at Spurs, and others like them have come in and in three to four months they’ve got them playing like Real Madrid.
"That’s the problem they’ve got. It’s been shown that you can come in and have an impact on players, patterns of play, style, in three to four months. We are still sat here eight years after Louis van Gaal leaves and haven’t seen a pattern of play, a combination that you see repeatedly," he said.
Liverpool legend makes bold claim about Erik ten Hag's future at Manchester United
Former Liverpool defender Jose Enrique has made his feelings clear regarding Erik ten Hag's future at Manchester United. The Spaniard believes the tactician will be relieved of his duties at Old Trafford before the 2023-24 campaign runs out.
According to Enrique, the Red Devils are unlikely to finish in the top four in the Premier League this season if Erik ten Hag stays in charge. He made the claim after United's 2-0 victory over Everton in the English top flight.
"I don’t think United will finish in the top four this season and should that be the case, I think they will sack Ten Hag," the Liverpool legend was quoted as saying by Football365.
For now, Ten Hag continues to have the backing of the club with the hope that he'll be able to turn the situation around before it gets too late.