Neville worries for Ten Hag future after Man Utd humbled by Liverpool

Manchester United may soon lose patience with manager Erik ten Hag after another humbling by Liverpool, Red Devils’ great Gary Neville said on Sunday.

Former defender Neville believes the Dutchman may only have until Christmas at Old Trafford to turn around what has been another disappointing start to the Premier League season.

United were crushed 3-0 at home to Liverpool as Mohamed Salah scored one and assisted both goals of Luis Diaz’s first-half brace on the red side of Manchester.

Ten Hag is the only United manager to lose three Premier League home games by three or more goals in the space of a year, also suffering 3-0 defeats to Manchester City in October and Bournemouth in December last year.

“It’s going to be a challenging week or so for Ten Hag just to get around the fact that there will be some pressure building,” Neville said on Sky Sports.

“But I think he will get until Christmas. There’s no doubt about that. There’s no doubt that INEOS and Dan Ashworth the chief executive, who has got a sense of calm about him – the [former Manchester] City chief executive [Omar Berrada] and Dave Brailsford and those people, are not just going to do something stupid.

“Within three or four months, they have made the decision to keep him. They will get four or five months. What they can’t be is mid-table come Christmas, but he is going to get a few months, there’s no doubt about that.”

Fellow pundit Jamie Carragher rebuffed, responding “I would be surprised if he is still in charge at the end of the season”, and if results continue this way, United’s hand may be forced with Ten Hag.

“We have to be humble.”

Erik speaks after our defeat to Liverpool.#MUFC || #MUNLIV

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) September 1, 2024

The former Ajax boss is also the only United manager to lose two of the three opening matches in a Premier League season on two separate occasions.

“It was a sobering day for Erik ten Hag, his players and for the new ownership sat in the stand en masse, looking at it and thinking whether they’re on the right path,” Neville continued.

“He’s been influenced to change his team and his staff in the summer as he’s brought two new coaches in. That isn’t always ideal as there is new messaging coming in. There’s a lot of change at the club so there was going to be a bit of pain along the way in interfering with the Glazer ownership.

“We’re seeing that today and it’s not going to change quickly. It’s a sobering day but one that requires some calm.”

Casemiro was removed at half-time, having played a woeful pass in the build-up to Diaz’s opener amid a torrid first half.

Despite his early exit, the Brazil midfielder lost possession 14 times, with Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui only doing so more often for United (16 each) and both playing the full game.

“Manchester United fans don’t often boo,” Neville added on the jeers for Ten Hag, Casemiro and under-fire Marcus Rashford. “They don’t often boo the manager, they don’t often boo substitutions, they don’t often boo players individually. And there’s been a couple of times today [where they have].

“They will boo, generally, a performance at half-time when the players are going off if they’re losing 2-0. But ordinarily, they don’t take out individuals and a couple of times today they have. Casemiro in the first half and then obviously referring to Rashford with that boo.”