Manchester United legend Gary Neville has urged his old club to stick with Erik ten Hag for one more season, fearing Gareth Southgate and Co. may not have the pedigree to succeed at Old Trafford.
Many Managers Are In The Running For The Manchester United Job
Ten Hag has come under intense scrutiny this season due to Manchester United’s underwhelming performances in the Premier League (Fifth in the rankings) and the UEFA Champions League (Group-stage exit). Additionally, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS taking control of all soccer-related operations after acquiring a 27.7% stake in the club, many believe they will want a clean slate for the 2024-25 season.
Some top tacticians, including England manager Southgate, Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Gary O’Neil, and ex-Chelsea chief Graham Potter, are reportedly in the running for the Manchester United job. Neville, however, is unsure whether or not they would fare any better than Ten Hag.
Gary Neville Explains Why Erik Ten Hag Is The Right Man To Manage Man Utd.
On The Overlap, the former full-back began by saying (via Express):
“I said on Stick to Football last week that even Gareth [Southgate], as well as Gareth’s done with England, I’ve never seen the fit between Gareth and Manchester United.
“I’ve never seen the fit between Graham Potter and Manchester United, and that’s been a strong rumor. I don’t see the fit between Gary O’Neil and Manchester United. Instinctively, as a fan of a club when you hear a name, you feel it or you don’t feel it. You just do. It’s not a feeling I’ve had. I’ve not woke up thinking that looks like a United manager.”
Neville claimed there was a lack of quality managers on the market, adding he would like to see Ten Hag get another year to succeed.
“Everywhere I look, I just think to myself, we could end up with someone who’s probably not as good as Erik ten Hag and got the pedigree of him,” the Englishman added.
“And he’s actually got two years of experience, and the fact he’s had that good for the season and he’s experienced that difficulty means that he should be better for it.”
He concluded by saying:
“So, I think that I would like to see that. I don’t like the idea of him leaving and bringing in one of the names that have been suggested. That doesn’t feel right.
“Stick with Erik ten Hag and think right, okay, let’s just give him I wouldn’t even say another year, I’d say just believe in him.”
The Dutch manager could save his job by leading United to the FA Cup and a top-four finish in the Premier League this season. They are currently in fifth place in the league and are in the Semi-finals of the FA Cup.
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