Rene Meulensteen brands Erik ten Hag as the wrong man to lead Manchester United
Former Sir Alex Ferguson favourite Rene Meulensteen has given his thoughts on Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag and it does not make for pleasurable reading. The Wolves are out for the Red Devils’ boss who continues to struggle in his second season at Old Trafford.
Ten Hag is currently presiding through a side that is struggling with both fitness and consistency. While one can understand that not having the best players available is a serious handicap, the Dutchman surely should get more out of his roster.
Man United are currently eighth in the Premier League and look likely to miss out on European football next season. We face Arsenal on Sunday in a tie that can have severe implications on the title race. Unfortunately, the rise of Arsenal showcases the difference in ability between those in charge of both clubs.
“The trend with Manchester United is they have regressed, and that is the worrying thing.”
Speaking to Manchester Evening News, via William Hill (h/t Mirror), Meulensteen believes the Red Devils have regressed under the Dutchman’s stewardship.
The numbers do little to back up Ten Hag’s case and make for some rather sobering reading. The abysmal Champions League campaigned is only outdone by an even poorer league campaign. Losing more than a third of the Premier League games certainly paints a poor picture.
“There’s no coming away from it because the numbers are backing that up. As simple as that. You look at the Champions League campaign, you look at their Premier League campaign, 13 losses, a goal difference of minus three. They’re in 8th position in the Premier League.”
As someone who helped oversee the most successful period in our history, Meulensteen knows a thing or two about managing winning teams. While it is unknown what weight his word still carries at Old Trafford, the lack of backing given to Ten Hag is not good news for the Dutchman.
“A lot of signs are they are not moving in the right direction. If you analyse those trends, you would obviously say, Erik ten Hag probably isn’t the right man to lead Manchester United forward.’
The inability to get the best out of resources has been Ten Hag’s undoing. The likes of Unai Emery, Andoni Iraola and Jurgen Klopp have all outdone their challenges this season while Mauricio Pochettino is also picking up pace at Chelsea. Ten Hag’s struggles paint a poor picture to a man who appears incapable of coming up with pragmatic solutions.
More Manchester United News
- Manchester United are expected to go after Barcelona forward this summer
- Manchester United star Casemiro axed from Brazil squad for Copa America
- Manchester United get huge boost as summer target is now ‘open’ to leaving Premier League side
The United boss ahs one more year to go on his current deal. Whether he can turn things around or will be let go before that remains top be seen. Louis van Gaal lost his seat despite leading United to the FA Cup. Whether another Dutch manager will undergo a deja vu remains to be seen.
