Scholes gives brutally honest take on Ten Hag's Man Utd future under INEOS
Paul Scholes believes Ineos and Sir Jim Ratcliffe have already decided that Erik ten Hag will not be Manchester United's manager next season.
Ten Hag was under pressure heading into Sunday's Manchester derby as a result of United's underwhelming campaign and the 3-1 defeat against Manchester City is unlikely to ease the scrutiny on him. The defeat leaves United 11 points off fourth spot in the Premier League with two-thirds of the season gone.
It has been widely reported that Ineos could opt to make a managerial change ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, with Ten Hag likely to leave if the club fail to qualify for the Champions League. Scholes, however, is of the opinion that the club's new hierarchy has already made up its mind on the Dutchman.
Speaking to Optus Sport in the aftermath of the match at the Etihad, he said: "What we’re seeing is a million miles away from a team that should be challenging for the league. Every single season it’s just so far away."
When he was then asked if he thought Ten Hag would still be in his position at the start of next season, Scholes added: "I think they [INEOS] have already made their mind up. I don’t think he will be there next season. No.
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"From the interviews we’ve heard with Sir Jim, I thought there was a little bit of negativity towards the club the last 10 or 11 years and especially the last two years. I don’t think he’s happy with what’s going on. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re looking for a new manager now. I’m not saying it’s the right decision."
Speculation over Ten Hag's future has only increased in recent weeks amid Ratcliffe's failure to publicly endorse him. He insisted in the build-up to the Manchester derby, though, that he didn't need a public show of support from the club's new regime.
Join the debate! Do you think Ten Hag is still the right man for Man Utd? Let us know here.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has refused to be drawn on Erik ten Hag's future in recent weeks (Robbie Jay Barratt/AMA)Speaking last week, he said: "I'm here, I'm under contract for three seasons, so I don't care. I am in this process, I'm only focusing on the process, so I don't care what's going on around me. I have had many talks with Sir Jim Radcliffe, also with Sir Dave Brailsford and others in that group.
"So I know where we are talking about and I have a strong belief and I feel that they believe in me. But I'm not focusing about my personal circumstances. I'm just focusing on the team and I have to find solutions for this team so that they perform the best way they can.
"It's all about focusing on that and not getting distracted by any noise or whatever. I know what I'm doing. Consistently, we have had talks and we're talking about the future together."
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