Pranav Nair
Paul Parker urges Manchester United to sack Erik ten Hag for misplaced faith in the wrong player
According to Spilxperten (h/t The Express), former Manchester United star Paul Parker has called upon the club to sack Erik ten Hag should he make the wrong selection choice in the upcoming game.
The Red Devils have gotten off to a tricky start this season, winning just two of their four Premier League games so far. Their late capitulation against Arsenal last weekend has done little to improve the mood around Old Trafford.
A major concern for the club is the lack of a reliable goalscorer to lead the line. Anthony Martial has been the club’s top striker for a while now with mixed results and it does not appear like he will be turning things around anytime soon.
In fact, summer signing Rasmus Hojlund came on late against Arsenal for his debut, putting in a promising performance. While he did not find the back of the net, the Norwegian showed enough to suggest that he can offer more than Martial in the role.
Parker is one of them and believes Hojlund should be handed the starting position over Martial. He goes on to further add that benching the Norwegian for Martial should be considered a sackable offence.
“If he doesn’t start against Brighton, then all fans will want Erik ten Hag fired, and it would almost be justified.”
Parker certainly isn’t a fan of Martial and has shown little restraint in his assessment of the Frenchman. He believes the Red Devils are better off giving youth a chance rather than a player whose attitude is suspect.
“Martial shouldn’t even be on the bench. There must be a youth player who is better who can sit on the bench, and Hojlund can be the first striker. All Manchester United fans are fed up with seeing a player with a lousy attitude, who always sulks and complains, and it’s a blessing that Man Utd finally has an attacker who plays with enthusiasm.”
Given that Martial has failed to step up consistently, one can understand Parker’s frustrations. However, Hojlund is just coming off the back of an injury and we should not be throwing him into the starting XI unless he is 100 percent fit.
The last thing we want to do is cause further harm to a long-term prospect only for limited immediate gains. Emotion is one thing but it also has to be rooted in practicality.
More Manchester United News
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- Denmark head coach Kasper Hjulmand gives a positive fitness update on Manchester United star Rasmus Hojlund
- New Manchester United midfielder Sofyan Amrabat outlines his winning mentality in first interview
Several Manchester United managers have given Martial opportunities to impress but with little impact. The Frenchman is capable of special moments but unless consistency is on the table, he is unlikely to be a reliable asset.
