‘Man Utd are a million miles off’ - calls for Ten Hag to be sacked increase

Carlo Garganese

• 1 Oct 2023 06:48 CDT
• 4 min read

Calls for Erik Ten Hag to be sacked by Manchester United continue to intensify as Paul Merson becomes the latest star to slam the Dutchman.

United have made their worst start to a season for 34 years, leading to #TenHagOut trending all over social media.

The club reached a new low on Saturday as they fell to a humiliating 1-0 defeat at home to Crystal Palace.

READ MORE: Man Utd plan another Ten Hag transfer reunion

United now find themselves in 10th place in the Premier League, with nine points and four defeats from their opening seven matches.

They also were beaten by Bayern Munich in their opening Champions League match, while the games they have won have been mired in controversy.

Former Arsenal and England star Merson has become the latest figure to criticise Ten Hag, and how his team are playing at the moment.

READ MORE: Premier League managers: Full list of current bosses as Ten Hag battles for job

What did Merson say about Ten Hag?

“I feel like when you’re watching Man Utd, it’s like watching Subbuteo. You blow the whistle to kick-off and at half-time, everyone is in exactly the same position as they were when they started the game. There’s no movement,’ said Merson.

“When you manage big football clubs, you’re under pressure and you’re under more pressure when the neighbours win. If they [Man City] had won today, then it really cranks up… it’s a must for them to get into the top four this season.”

“You watch Man Utd play and you just don’t see the pattern of play. It’s like if it comes off, it comes off. You watch Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham, Man City play, they have patterns of play. Someone will go in and come back out, but at Man Utd, it’s get the ball out wide and hope that Rashford does something and if he does, we might score a goal.

“Amrabat was wasted out on the left in the end, he did come into the middle in the end but he should start off there. They need to dominate. It’s too slow at Man Utd, they let teams get into the game, let teams settle, but they’ve got to go for them in the first 20 minutes. There’s nothing like that.

“Disappointing and they didn’t make loads of chances. They were lost for ideas for a lot of the game.

“Hojlund is playing up front on his own and you don’t know if the wingers are going to cross it or not. It’s hard for him. He doesn’t get a lot of service. Mount, Casemiro and Fernandes don’t really know where they’re going or where they’re playing.

“It’s a big worry for Man Utd at the moment and another defeat. They’re a million miles off.

“I don’t see them turning it around at the moment. It might get to a situation where he might have to change the shape. He has a four at the back, he might need to go to a three just to mix it up.

“I just find that Mount and Fernandes look a bit lost and don’t know where they’ve got to go. They’re getting dominated and passed around. They put pressure on Palace, but Johnstone didn’t have loads of saves to make.”

Man Utd are next in action on Tuesday in the Champions League when they host Galatasaray in Group A.

Anything less than a win for United will pile the pressure on Ten Hag even more.