Gary Neville: Manchester United are a farce | Would Erik ten Hag really still want job? | Football News

April 10, 2022 admin

Gary Neville says he has “very few words left to say about Manchester United” following another weekend in the Premier League which demonstrated the size of the rebuild facing the club’s next manager.

Ralf Rangnick admitted Manchester United do not deserve to finish in the Champions League spots if their performance levels for the rest of the season are similar to what they showed at Everton.

United’s ambition of finishing in the Premier League top four is receding and Rangnick was left to bemoan a toothless attacking display against an Everton side that lost 3-2 at relegation rivals Burnley in midweek.

Speaking on the Gary Neville Podcast, the former United full-back bemoaned the abject performance at Goodison Park, and believes Ten Hag may even be thinking twice about taking over the reins this summer…

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Imagine if Ten Hag turns his back on United?

I’ve got very few words left for Manchester United. No anger, no comment anymore. They are a bit of a farce; you almost expect it from them. The players are taking Ralf Rangnick down with them. They are bad.

They’ve got to get to the end of the season as quickly as possible. The reality is that any kind of performance in the last week against Leicester and Everton and they would have been in top four, but they haven’t got the spirit or the fight.

When I look at Manchester City and Liverpool, they have humble football players; no over-inflated egos, they understand their position, the team comes first. There isn’t one Manchester United player that would get into any of those two teams, so why would you have an over-inflated ego, think you didn’t have to work hard, or be spiritless? I don’t see anything anymore.

I’ve read in the Sunday papers that Erik ten Hag wants all of his demands met or else he won’t come to the club. Imagine if they can’t get Ten Hag over the line because of what’s happening at the moment, and how bad a state the club are in.

Could Van de Beek influence new manager?

If you look at what Manchester United are doing to players, there isn’t one who has grown. Look at what they did to Donny van de Beek. If you’re Ten Hag, I think you’re on the phone to Van de Beek. What’s it like there, Donny? He’s not saying anything good, is he?

I suspect Ten Hag’s demands aren’t financial, they will be about control, recruitment, structure, youth. I suspect he wants to come in and make sure he’s not exposed to what other managers have been exposed to in these last 10 years.

That might be too much for Manchester United, and I suspect it may be difficult week or two for the club. I still think they will get it over the line, but the reports this morning were that Ten Hag was placing demands on the club that maybe go above and beyond. We shouldn’t believe everything but, ordinarily, when things come out from credible sources we normally know.

The old adage is not to believe anything we read in the press but that is false, journalists hear things from somewhere and if there are multiple sources saying the same type of story there is usually something in it.

Things have all gone quiet on the Mauricio Pochettino front, so it all feels like it’s all eggs in the Ten Hag basket. If they cannot get him over the line because of his demands on the way the club is run, what a position for Manchester United to be in.

I suspect Ralf Rangnick will be speaking to Ten Hag honestly, Van de Beek will be answering him honestly. We know Edwin van der Sar is over at Ajax and will be speaking to Ten Hag honestly. They will be saying be very careful about going to Manchester United because it can be a graveyard for reputations at this moment in time.

‘Rangnick’s reputation wounded – this is getting real low’

Ralf Rangnick came with an incredible reputation but he’s now starting to be wounded by what’s happening around him and he looks weaker and vulnerable on the touchline due to the performances of players on the pitch, who have nothing to do with him.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is a good man, the players liked him and yet they turned him over. It’s a real difficult position for the club to be at.

I feel like most Manchester United fans at this moment in time in that I don’t know where to turn next or what’s going to happen.

I’m living on the feeling that the club one day will return. The club will rise again but this is getting low, real low. But it will come back, and you look forward to that day.

Those Liverpool fans over my shoulder have been where Manchester United have been, they have been in those low moments when Manchester United were winning, when they maybe didn’t have a team they could be proud of. Maybe it’s time for those Manchester United players to have a look at themselves.

I do believe players want to do well, but what they are showing at this moment in time is nowhere near good enough.