MyBettingSites had the pleasure of catching up with former Manchester United defender Paul Parker, who shared his thoughts on the future of Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag. Ten Hag has been under intense scrutiny after a poor start to the season, which has left United languishing at 14th in the Premier League, alongside two draws in their Europa League campaign.
In this article:
- Parker backs ten Hag to remain in charge
- Tuchel is not the man to lead United
- Ten Hag needs to be stronger with his players
Parker backs ten Hag to remain in charge
Manchester United’s fixtures against Porto last Thursday and Aston Villa last Sunday were supposed to decide his fate. It was another “do or die” moment for Erik ten Hag, who seems to be close to having nine lives. The meeting that took place between INEOS board members in London on Tuesday was expected to be the decider. As of today? Nothing. No news on whether Erik ten Hag will continue as the manager, having presided over the club’s worst start to a season since the 1989/90 campaign. However, Paul Parker doesn’t believe the meeting was solely based on deciding ten Hag’s fate, nor is he concerned about ten Hag’s future as things stand.
“Everyone believed this meeting between Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his team was about Erik ten Hag. I am sure this meeting hasn’t just been called now; it has been planned for months. It was a planned meeting to get the Americans on board.
“People were wrong about that. Of course, the manager is a talking point, but a lot of other things are as well. There is a lot to talk about. Everyone is talking about getting rid of the manager, but that’s football. I don’t believe he is going to be sacked now because it doesn’t make any sense.”
Parker has been steadfast in his support of ten Hag through difficult times and continues to back the man in charge during his third season at the club.
“Manchester United is the biggest club in the world, so everyone is trying to guess all the time, hoping to look like a hero if they one day get things right. But I simply don’t believe the meeting was about Erik ten Hag’s future.”
Tuchel is not the man to lead United
Some reports suggest that the club is hesitating to sack ten Hag due to the large compensation he would receive. However, Parker believes this is just part of the media merry-go-round, and he dismisses reports linking Thomas Tuchel to the job as media spin. He argues that Tuchel doesn’t make sense for United.
“People are talking about the club not wanting to sack him because of the compensation he would receive, but that’s just another thing people are making up. They are inventing reasons why the club wants to keep him.
“People are trying to push Tuchel, but he doesn’t fit Man United. Tuchel is always short-term, and Man United can’t afford a short-term manager. They need to stick to their manager, whether it’s Erik ten Hag or someone else.”
Ten Hag needs to be stronger with his players
Ten Hag’s biggest defence against criticism of his United tenure is that his team is young and that he has won two trophies in two seasons at the club, which many find impressive. While Parker is pleased with the trophy haul and supports keeping ten Hag as manager, he is less impressed with ten Hag’s player management.
“Erik ten Hag has won trophies, which is what Man United is about. Of course, the fans want a big trophy as well, and a club of that stature should win one, to be honest. On the other hand, I don’t think he has been strong enough with players who don’t deserve to play.
“He thinks it’s the right decision to keep people happy because it’s easier to go with what the majority would like. But now he has to be a bit tougher. He knows now that people talk behind his back, and players will always look after themselves first and foremost. He is not going to win that battle, and Man United is different from Ajax.”
