There’s never a dull day where Manchester United are concerned. Rumours continue to circulate around the future of Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag following a disappointing 1-0 loss to Newcastle, which was actually very flattering. Next up for United is a clash with Chelsea, followed by games against Bournemouth, Bayern Munich, and Liverpool. These could be make-or-break for Ten Hag and his future at the club. We caught up with former Red, Paul Parker, to discuss the ongoing turmoil at the club.
In this article:
- Rashford has to go back to basics
- United players must back ten Hag
- Ratcliffe must back ten Hag
- The media are trying to get ten Hag sacked
Rashford Has To Go Back To Basics
Marcus Rashford has yet to find his form and was substituted off after a poor performance against Newcastle. He has failed to match the heights of last season, where he scored 30 goals across all competitions. With only two goals in 18 games and a series of underwhelming performances, opinions on Rashford have changed. Parker seems to be suggesting that Rashford’s ego is preventing him from critically evaluating his performances.
“It’s quite easy to go back to basics. What you do is to embrace the people around you, which are your so-called teammates.
“But what you have to do is to look in the mirror and believe that you are having a bad time, and I think Rashford believes he is playing alright. He believes he is doing enough.
“He came off the pitch against Newcastle. He should be disappointed, shake his hands with his manager, who should tell him that he supports him in a bad time.
“But I don’t think Rashford believes that he is having a bad time. I think he really thinks that he doesn’t deserve to be subbed off.”
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United Players Must Back Ten Hag
Player power has seemingly been a problem at Manchester United since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement. Various media outlets report that half of the Manchester United players have lost faith in Ten Hag and his methods, both on the training ground and from a discipline standpoint. Parker suggests that the United players may stop complaining and align with the manager’s approach.
“A lot of players don’t realise that it’s a team game. Marcus Rashford can only find his form if he actually looks in the mirror and realises that he is having a bad time.
“He believes that he will be at Man United longer than Erik ten Hag. The manager is the players´ commodity. The players have played under a lot of managers, but now they should really decide to stick with him.
“The only way it can be done is that the players shut up or they get out. They have to give Erik ten Hag a chance instead of moaning. They are not going to win the battle against Erik ten Hag.”
Ratcliffe Must Back Ten Hag
According to various media outlets, Ten Hag has lost significant support in the dressing room. However, it’s unclear how much his position is under threat. Questions also arise about how long the Manchester United hierarchy will remain patient before taking decisive action. Despite the disappointing results and performances, Parker continues to support Ten Hag.
“I don’t see how or why Erik ten Hag’s position should be threatened. If you go off the numbers, his numbers are very good. Look at what they achieved last season.
“The biggest problem for United is the performances are rotten. They’re rotten. Even when they’ve won games it’s been rotten.
“It’s because of injuries, key players missing and players not pulling their weight and having to rely on individuals to get them out of trouble.
“The manager needs to be backed by Ratcliffe and co coming in. Even if they’ve got agents in their ear because they want their man in the job.”
The Media Are Trying To Get Ten Hag Sacked
Rumours suggest that player leaks have been a long standing issue at Manchester United. Nonetheless, Parker contends that it’s primarily the media creating and promoting narratives to sell stories, which he believes is the main cause of the negative news surrounding United.
“If they bring someone they know in, it sets them back eighteen months. Why do that when you’ve got someone with an idea, he’s respected within the club by the right people and the good pros respect him because they understand discipline is needed.
“The media are one dimensional and they just want that big story so they revise the history. They’re pushing for a big story so throw it back in their face and stick with the manager.
“The players need to know they can’t run off to the media or to people above the manager. They have to stop using their agents to send out messages because they look stupid.”
