"Not up to it, should go" - Darren Bent believes Manchester United is 'way too big' for Erik ten Hag, claims its time for him to leave
Pundit Darren Bent has claimed that Manchester United are too big for Erik ten Hag and the Dutchman has to depart.
Bent's comments come after the Red Devils 1-0 defeat against Bayern Munich at Old Trafford in the UEFA Champions League on December 12. They were subsequently eliminated from the competition, finishing rock bottom in Group A, with four points from six matches. They lost four, drew one, and won one of their games.
Meanwhile, United are sixth in the Premier League with 27 points from 16 matches and have lost seven games, winning the other six. They have also been eliminated from the EFL Cup. Out of the 24 matches played so far this term, Ten Hag's side have lost 12, won 11, and drawn one.
Ten Hag did well last season, securing a top-four finish, winning the Carabao Cup, and reaching the FA Cup final. However, Bent reckons this season has been disappointing as he said on talkSPORT:
"Not upto it, should go."
Bent, though, said that sacking managers without a backup plan is not the way to go. However, he stayed firm in his stance that Ten Hag isn't up to the task at United, saying:
"I don't think he's up to it. I think the club's way too big for him."
Watch Darren Bent talk about Erik ten Hag:
Bent went on to add that after early success, Ten Hag's true quality has been on display and he is not good enough for a club of Manchester United's stature.
Erik ten Hag insists Manchester United played well against Bayern Munich
Manchester United's European campaign ended with a 1-0 defeat to Bayern Munich on Tuesday. While the game was a must-win, the Red Devils lacked any substantial threat to Bayern's goal, managing only one shot on target.
Ten Hag, however, insisted that his team played a good match, telling the media after the game at Old Trafford (via Sky Sports):
"The team did very good, we were very good defensively and in the pressing. We had many ball regains, especially second half. But then we didn't take enough benefit from it - we were playing against a strong side."
Kingsley Coman scored the solitary goal of the match in the 71st minute from a Harry Kane assist. Manchester United have a difficult outing next, playing Liverpool at Anfield in a Premier League game on December 17.