Erik ten Hag deserves time at Manchester United after a ‘terrific’ debut season in charge of the Premier League giants, Dutch legend Johan Neeskens believes.
If anything summed up the confusing nature of this madcap football club, it was the two contrasting statistics which emerged in recent weeks. After losing to Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup – their eighth defeat in 15 games – this officially became Manchester United’s worst start to a season since the 1960s.
Only three days later, Bruno Fernandes firing home in stoppage time at Fulham, Erik Ten Hag found himself celebrating a place in United’s history for all the right reasons. The joint-quickest manager ever to reach 50 wins in charge of the Red Devils, doing so in just 79 matches.
When you take the entirety of the Ten Hag era into account, and consider the litany of issues he has had to deal with in recent months, it becomes increasingly difficult to disagree with Neeskens’ assessment, injuries, misfortune, countless VAR catastrophes, the Mason Greenwood situation and the spectre of the Glazers hanging over his head and making an already challenging job even more difficult.
Erik ten Hag equals Manchester United record
“I think, in his first year, Ten Hag did a terrific, terrific job. Everybody enjoyed it,” Neeskens, the Ajax legend and World Cup runner-up, tells Hayters TV.
“Now, they are a little bit unlucky because of the injuries. But I know for sure (Manchester United should) give him some time. He is a very good coach, and he showed that in his first year at United.
“So give him this time. When all the players return from injury, he is going to come back strongly. I believe in him.”
Four wins in five Prem games
Amid all the criticism of Manchester United’s recent form, it should not go unnoticed that the Red Devils are actually the most in-form team in the whole of the Premier League, that 1-0 victory over Luton Town last time out their fourth win in five top-flight games.
The likes of Zinedine Zidane and Ruben Amorim of Sporting Lisbon have been mentioned as potential replacements but, while Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s revolution is beginning apace, there is little at present to suggest that Ten Hag will go the same way as Richard Arnold any time soon.
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
