Manchester United must axe Richard Arnold and John Murtough in major clearout, says pundit

Add as preferred source on Google

Manchester United have been urged to ‘strip it down’ and change the club from top to bottom.

Manager Erik ten Hag has overseen a poor start to the season, with five wins and six losses in all competitions.

There has subsequently been pressure on the Dutchman. But then what? If the results get worse, sacking him will only restart the cycle again.

Ralf Rangnick famously said ‘open heart surgery’ is required at Manchester United, not something as ‘cosmetic’ as changing managers and players.

So far that has not been listened to, and a pundit has urged everything to be gutted out.

Major Manchester United changes

Former Premier League midfielder Robbie Mustoe believes a total clearout is required at Manchester United, pending a takeover.

Mustoe told NBC Sports’ Two Robbies podcast, after the win over Brentford, that big changes are needed at Old Trafford.

He insisted that chief executive Richard Arnold and football director John Murtough should both be replaced.

He explained: “What this club needs is an absolute total strip down, every part of that football club, stripped down, ripped and start again.

“Strip it down from the top, a new chief executive, a new director of football, and from that, you have a new recruiting department.

“Whether Erik ten Hag could still be the main coach, yeah, maybe he can. but everything around him has to change.”

He added that the way of thinking has to change at Old Trafford, pointing out the short-term transfer fixes which becoming cause for concern.

“Eriksen, past his best, Casemiro, past his best, Varane, past his best. There’s so many things [wrong] that are a result of wrong decisions.

“Strip it all out and start again. It can only happen if the ownership changes, and that needs to happen.”

Takeover uncertainty

When it comes to the Manchester United ownership, there is a lot of uncertainty, and has been for months.

This can’t be helping anybody behind the scenes, including Erik ten Hag.

There is a fair chance new owners may want to install their own chief executive and football director, if not immediately, then within the first 12 months.

Arnold and Murtough will be aware of this, and so too will their staff at Old Trafford, recognising that changes could be made if the club is sold.

This itself leads itself to a more short-term approach, where those responsible can take short-term decisions to try and save their own jobs, and the lack of clarity about the club will be making everybody feel nervous.

The changes Mustoe suggests may be smart ones. Arnold did not help his cause at all with the handling of the Mason Greenwood saga this summer.

Both Murtough and Arnold were upwardly promoted, rather than being sought-after external hires. It would be refreshing to see United chase the ‘best in class’, and attempt a major overhaul. Something drastic does need to change to get the club back on track.