"It’s not a crazy idea" - Ex-Ajax star suggests Erik ten Hag could return to former club if sacked by Manchester United
Former Ajax forward Kenneth Perez has suggested the Eredivisie side attempt to bring back Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag should the latter be sacked by the Red Devils.
The comment follows a series of poor results for Manchester United across competitions. Ten Hag's men suffered a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Crystal Palace (September 30) in the Premier League last weekend before losing to Galatasaray in a mid-week UEFA Champions League draw (October 3).
The Dutch tactician decided to leave Ajax in 2022 for the Manchester United job after having spent five seasons with the club. Suggesting a return to the Netherlands for the 53-year-old coach, Perez told ESPN (via Metro):
"Imagine if Erik ten Hag were fired, would it be very crazy for Ajax to ask him back? Manchester United is known for the fact that things can get difficult if things don’t go well. Then it’s not a crazy idea, is it?"
While at Ajax, ten Hag managed to win the Eredivisie title on three occasions while enjoying a Champions League run in 2019 that saw his side lose in the semi-finals against Tottenham Hotspur.
So far this season, the Red Devils have managed to win just four matches while losing six of their first 10 games across all competitions. It will be interesting to see whether ten Hag is handed the sack should these performances persist.
"There'll be serious questions"- Shay Given slams Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag after Galatasaray loss
Former Premier League goalkeeper Shay Given slammed Erik ten Hag following his side's display in the 3-2 UEFA Champions League defeat to Galatasaray on Tuesday (October 3).
The Manchester United manager has come under scrutiny after losing six of his first ten matches of the new season. Claiming that the Dutch tactician is answerable for these results, Given said (via Irish Mirror):
"We talked before about if ten Hag was under pressure, I think a result like that tonight, it was 3-2 to Galatasaray - it could've been more."
"I won't say it's the manager's fault but at the end of the day it stops with him. He's the guy with the results. I don't care what level you're at, any manager at any level if the results are this bad then there'll be serious questions."
Since joining the Red Devils in the summer of 2022, ten Hag has registered 46 wins, eight draws, and 18 losses across all competitions. His only trophy at the club was the Manchester outfit's Carabao Cup success last season.