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Manchester United’s disappointing season has left Erik ten Hag fighting for his future at Old Trafford.
With the club looking unlikely to qualify for next season’s Champions League, the FA Cup appears to be Ten Hag’s only lifeline to save his position.
However, given United’s poor campaign, the rumour mill has been in overdrive with names that could potentially replace the Dutchman at the Theatre of Dreams.
Speaking on the Overlap Youtube channel, Gary Neville has given his verdict on the leading candidates to take over should United choose to make a change.
England manager Gareth Southgate is reportedly the front-runner for the post as things stand with Wolves boss Gary O’Neil and ex-Chelsea and Brighton coach Graham Potter also touted.
Neville admitted he isn’t particularly enamored by any of the aforementioned names despite strong performances in their respective current and previous positions.
“As well as Gareth has done with England, I’ve never seen that as a fit with Man United. I don’t see Graham Potter as a fit and that’s been a strong rumour too. I don’t see the fit between Gary O’Neil and United.
“Instinctively as a fan you hear a name and you feel it or you don’t feel it. It’s not a feeling I’ve had. I’ve not woke up and thought they look like a Manchester United manager,” he said.
Neville said that given the options available, he would stick with Ten Hag for another season at least, particularly given the fact United could still end their underwhelming campaign with a trophy.
“I would like to see him stay in the sense that I’m not quite sure at the moment who else is out there. So for me I don’t like the idea of him leaving and United bringing in the kind of names that have been suggested. That doesn’t feel right.
“I would rather stick with Erik ten Hag and believe in him. If he has another season like this he obviously won’t still be there but we could still win the FA Cup and we could sneak into the Champions League,” he stated.
Neville further believes that Ten Hag “should be better” after his experience this season with contrasting campaigns helping him understand his role better.
Finally, the former United captain made a cheeky reference to one manager that will be out of work in the summer before doubling down on his belief that INEOS should stick with the 54-year-old.
“If Jurgen Klopp was on the market or you could get a world-class manager in it might be different but when you look at the options, we could end up with someone who isn’t as good as Erik ten Hag and hasn’t got his pedigree,” he added.
United and Ten Hag will be desperate to end the season strong with the team now back in Manchester for the run-in, after the last international break concluded this week.
Ten Hag takes his troops to Brentford on Saturday night in a bid to make up ground on Aston Villa and Tottenham who sit above them in the Premier League table.
