28 February 2024 , 18:22
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Richard Keys has branded Erik ten Hag 'Erik ten Toast' as he insisted that the Manchester United boss could soon be sacked.
Ten Hag has endured a wretched second season in charge of the Red Devils, having been knocked out of the Carabao Cup, finished bottom of their Champions League group and sit eight points adrift of the top four.
The Dutchman has spent a massive amount on transfers since his arrival in the summer of 2022, though many of his big buys have been abject failures. Saturday's defeat to Fulham has heaped further pressure on the under-fire manager.
His side now face a trip to Nottingham Forest in the fifth round of the FA Cup, the only trophy they can now win this season. But even if they beat the Premier League strugglers, Keys believes Ten Hag's time could soon be up.
The broadcaster tweeted: "All the leaks coming out of OT tell me the gaffer is Erik ten Toast. Football can be a horrible business. He’s had his time though - wasted a fortune & taken them nowhere. Absolutely nowhere."
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Those leaks that Keys cites may include the story which broke on Tuesday claiming members of Ten Hag's squad demanded a day off following that loss to Fulham, a request that was denied.
The Red Devils usually spend the day after their games warming down and going through video analysis. There have been other reports of the squad feeling that Ten Hag's pre-season plans overworked them, leading to an awful start to the campaign.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Should Manchester United sack Erik ten Hag? Comment below.
Ten Hag is coming under increasing pressure after the defeat to Fulham (REX/Shutterstock)Ten Hag has fought back against those criticising his management though, suggesting he will put up a fight. The Dutchman highlighted his side's unbeaten run before the Fulham defeat, insisting he is still the right man for the job.
"When you are unbeaten for January and February and you lose one game… we know our aim is to win every game. As United, you have to win every game. Obviously, it was a poor performance, a poor defeat," he said.
"We are aware of this, and we want to stay in every competition. So, on your first question, yeah, we have to win tomorrow. But that doesn't change our approach, because that is [the case] for every game.
"I have to look at today and we have to work on the team, on the team’s development and the progress and, of course, to win every game. That is also what we are doing. So, a lot of effort is in what is today but yeah, we also already look forward to longer term.
"Fulham, in their midfield set-up, surprised us a little bit. I know footballers are not robots, sometimes they have bad days. But it can't be, it's unacceptable and we have to do better tomorrow. But in the weeks before, we have done very well."
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