Erik ten Hag sent Man Utd sack warning in damning Jose Mourinho comparison
Martin Keown has taken aim at Erik ten Hag, arguing predecessor Jose Mourinho would be fighting to keep his job if he had been in charge of the same standard of Manchester United 's disappointing performances this season.
Ten Hag led United to a third-place finish in the Premier League last season but performances have tailed off this time around. Narrow victories over Brentford, Sheffield United and Copenhagen have relieved the pressure on the former Ajax boss, while breathing new life into United's hopes of reaching the Champions League knockout stages, but Keown remains unconvinced.
Mourinho, who managed United between 2016 and 2018, was sacked after a run of just one win from six league games which left the team in sixth place, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick subsequently taking the reins before Ten Hag was appointed in 2022. Ten Hag's United currently sit eighth despite their back-to-back victories going into Sunday's derby meeting with Manchester City.
"United are not expected to win the derby, the club is not where it was," former Arsenal legend Keown said on talkSPORT. "What are we, 10 years since they last won a Premier League? This is like a rebuilding process, the club is up for sale, there's huge problems there.
"Not what I'm seeing right now," he added when asked whether Ten Hag was the right man for the job. "If this was Mourinho in situ then I'm pretty certain all the former players would be on the bandwagon now and saying they want him out.
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"I don't know whether or not his public relations are very good but what I'm seeing with my own eyes, I don't see a convincing performance. Now, because he's getting results, he's in there fighting, he's got a chance."
Is Erik ten Hag the man to lead Manchester United forward? Have your say in the comments section
Erik ten Hag has overseen three straight Manchester United wins (Ryan Browne/REX/Shutterstock)United and City traded derby victories last season, while Pep Guardiola's side beat Ten Hag's men in the FA Cup final. United's win came at Old Trafford by a score of two goals to one, but Keown isn't convinced the hosts can deliver a repeat on Sunday.
"It doesn't matter what people believe or what they think, it's about turning around results," the former Premier League champion added. "This is the biggest opportunity they ever get now at the weekend but I don't see City slipping up again, it can't happen.
"Potentially he's out of his depth, it looks like he is right now. They're just hanging on to get results. If he goes on another run of two or three defeats then I think he's out the door."
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