Recently, we had the opportunity to speak with Paul Parker, a former Manchester United defender, who shared his insights into the ongoing speculation surrounding the club’s managerial situation. As rumours about Erik ten Hag’s future persist, Parker offered his perspective on what lies ahead for the current United manager and discussed the potential candidates being linked to the prestigious role.
Parker delved into the challenges ten Hag has faced and the evolving dynamics at United, emphasising the importance of stability and the need for the club to support its manager during turbulent periods.
In this article:
- United should stick with ten Hag
- Media are playing the circus game with Manchester United management rumours
- Parker lambasts the culture at United
United should stick with ten Hag
As the football season enters its final stretch, the future of Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag remains a hot topic among INEOS stakeholders and the club’s fanbase. After a successful debut season in which United clinched the Carabao Cup and secured a top-four finish, ten Hag’s second season has proved more challenging. The team has appeared vulnerable defensively, conceding a concerning number of shots per game.
Despite these struggles, former United defender Paul Parker advises the club to maintain stability at the managerial position. He argues against repeating past mistakes of frequent managerial changes, which he refers to as a “management circus.” Parker believes that continuity is key and suggests that the club should stand by ten Hag, allowing him more time to adjust and refine his strategies to restore the team’s defensive solidity while building on the successes of his first season.
“Should they sack him? No. Would it be a mistake? Yes. Cause there’s no one out there. People are scratching their heads about who’s next.”
“Whoever comes in is going to want to do exactly the same as Erik ten Hag. If the club is willing to do exactly that, then they have to decide who’s the best person to lead what they want to bring in.”
“If you look at that starting XI, there’s about five you’d like to get rid of. And if the club were to say yes to that then they got to decide who they want to manage after that.”
“Looking at the media, they want Graham Potter in another job, maybe to persecute him again when he’s managing another club. They enjoy that. We had a go at him at Chelsea and we’ll have an even bigger go at him at Manchester United because that carries more weight.”
Media are playing the circus game with Manchester United management rumours
Manchester United’s search for managerial stability has led to speculation linking several high-profile names to the club, including England manager Gareth Southgate and Brighton’s Roberto De Zerbi. Amid these rumours, Paul Parker shared his views, endorsing De Zerbi as a suitable candidate for United’s managerial role. He appreciates De Zerbi and the impressive work he has done at Brighton, suggesting that his style and approach could translate well to the demands of a club like Manchester United.
However, Parker also expressed scepticism about the motivations behind the media’s linkage of certain managers to the job. He suspects that the English media might be influencing the narrative for reasons other than purely sporting merit.
“They keep trying to mention Gareth Southgate for Man Utd. He doesn’t get mentioned for the Liverpool job but does for Man Utd. You’d think what’s going on here and you know the reason for that.”
“De Zerbi would suit Manchester United more than Liverpool but he’s mentioned with Liverpool and not Man Utd. So the press are playing their own game of what they want to do. They’re trying to become control freaks. It’s political football now and politics was never meant to be in sports. Seems like they are now.”
“They shouldn’t change him. He should be allowed to work in the best situation that has been at the club since the Glazers arrived. He should be given the opportunity to do that and given the say-so to talk to the players in the manner that fits his role.”
Parker lambasts the culture at United
Paul Parker, who once played under Sir Alex Ferguson, widely regarded as one of the greatest football managers of all time, finds the current situation at Manchester United perplexing. Reflecting on the club’s recent challenges and the behaviour of its players under the current management, Parker’s views stand out sharply against the backdrop of criticism aimed at Erik ten Hag.
While some critics have accused ten Hag of failing to protect his players, often seen as “throwing players under the bus,” Parker sees the situation differently. He believes that it is ten Hag himself who has been left vulnerable, positioned unfairly to take the blame for deeper systemic issues within the club.
“And if no one is happy with anything, he gets backed by the club. The club comes out and says ‘he’s the manager and we agree with him.”
“If anybody wants to come out and say people are being thrown under the bus, talk about him and what he’s had to work with.”
“Players who are saying they haven’t made their decision about next season because they’re waiting to see what happens with the manager. What right have they got to say that in a million years?”
“If that story came out when Sir Alex Ferguson was manager, in his own way he would find out where that story came from, find the players concerned and he’d say, ‘I’ve made your job easier. Don’t worry about what I’m going to do next season, now you got to worry about what you’re doing next season because you’re not in my plans.’”
