Manchester United's four-goal loss to Crystal Palace has not done Erik ten Hag any favours
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Former Manchester United pair Michael Owen and Paul Scholes question whether Erik ten Hag is getting the most out of his coaching staff after their dismal run of form continued with a four-goal defeat to Crystal Palace.
The duo both worked under ten Hag’s assistant manager Steve McClaren during their playing careers, but see none of the hallmarks of his methods in the current Manchester United side.
In fact, neither man could see any evidence of coaching whatsoever in the current United side, who have claimed just two wins and ten points from their past ten top-flight outings.
Manchester United 'not being coached at all' under Erik ten Hag
Steve McClaren has been ‘wasted’ by Ten Hag (Image credit: Getty Images)
Owen told Premier League Productions: “We’ve played under Steve McClaren, he’s coached us, there’s no way that his fingerprints are anywhere near that team. He is a brilliant, brilliant coach and that team is not being coached at all. No way Steve McClaren is the first-team coach.”
Scholes added: “It suggests to me he’s not touching that team. The manager must not be letting him touch that team, I don’t think.
“Everyone thinks we were a great team that attacked everyone and went at people, [but] sometimes we played against better teams and Steve McClaren put better sessions on to make sure you stopped other teams, getting the distances right, getting your angles right, especially in centre midfield, across all midfield.
“He has got no impression on that [Ten Hag] team whatsoever. He’s the best coach I ever had.”
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That defeat means United have dropped from sixth to eighth over the weekend, with Newcastle United and Chelsea both overtaking them, while Mauricio Pochettino’s side have gained a considerable goal difference advantage having won 5-0 at home to West Ham United on Sunday.
United’s awful form raises the prospect of missing out on a place in any European competition for next season: they would need to either finish at least sixth to claim at least a Conference League place, or win the FA Cup to claim a Europa League spot.
Michael Owen says Ten Hag should leave (Image credit: Getty Images)
With so much still on the line from those last four games and United in wretched form under the Dutchman, Owen told Premier League Productions: “I’ve said it for a long time, that Ten Hag is not the right man for this job.
“I’ve been saying it for ages and ages. He cannot – simply cannot – manage the team next season.
“I almost wonder now: they’ve got a cup final and they’ve got a few important games that could mean European football next year or not. At some point you’ve got to make a decision.
“They’re going to get absolutely hammered by Manchester City [in the FA Cup final], they’re going to get annihilated, in fact.
“Arsenal will smash them to bits at Old Trafford. Newcastle will probably beat them, and I wouldn’t even fancy them going to Brighton either. They might not get anything out of the rest of the season playing like that.
“I just wonder…there’s just so much at stake, even if it’s only for four games…I wonder whether the board might just have to try to do something here and now, and be quite radical about it.
“He cannot, simply cannot, manage this team next season. He’s not good enough. I’ve thought it for ages, and he’s just not good enough to manage Manchester United.”
Steven Chicken has been working as a football writer since 2009, taking in stints with Football365 and the Huddersfield Examiner. Steven still covers Huddersfield Town home and away for his own publication, WeAreTerriers.com. Steven is a two-time nominee for Regional Journalist of the Year at the prestigious British Sports Journalism Awards, making the shortlist in 2020 and 2023.
