Sky Sports reporter predicts when Man Utd could consider sacking Ten Hag

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·14 de noviembre de 2023

Sky Sports reporter predicts when Man Utd could consider sacking Ten Hag

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag could be sacked before the end of the current campaign, with Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth revealing when the most likely date would be.

The Dutch manager has been under pressure for the majority of the season, with a string of poor results and off-field issues having punctuated a mixed start to the campaign for United. It's been difficult for United to gain any real momentum in the Premier League, such has been their lack of consistency.

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But now, with the final international break of the year soon to be out the way, there is an expectation that ten Hag must deliver in the big matches for the Old Trafford outfit.

Worrying times for Man United's Erik ten Hag

It's felt like a case of one step forward, two steps back for United this season. Just when it looks like they might've turned a corner, the latest crisis comes along to knock them off course. Last midweek it was a shock 4-3 defeat to FC Copenhagen in the Champions League group stage - a fixture United had been 2-0 up in.

A weekend victory over Luton Town remedied that, but the performance from United did little to ease any concerns the Red Devils faithful might have about ten Hag's future. The 20-time English champions needed a second-half Victor Lindelof goal to squeeze past the Premier League newbies at Old Trafford, with United suffering plenty of nervy moments in that contest.

Clock is ticking for Ten Hag turnaround at Old Trafford

Dominating the headlines for most of the season, talk about ten Hag's future has continued to pick up in recent weeks. While on the whole United's return of 21 points from their opening 12 matches hasn't been catastrophic, defeats in both the League Cup and the Champions League have exposed ten Hag's biggest managerial fragilities.

Concerns about him losing his job before the turn of the year were put to bed somewhat in the week, when journalist Ben Jacobs suggested there was little chance ten Hag would be sacked by United before Christmas. The reliable reporter hinted he still has the backing of the United hierarchy, even though things have been shaky at times.

But in the latest update provided to GIVEMESPORT, a timeframe around what ten Hag's sacking might look like has been revealed.

Dharmesh Sheth update - Erik ten Hag

Speaking in an interview with GIVEMESPORT, Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth has revealed that ten Hag's job security will likely hinge on how well his team can perform in their final two Champions League group matches. Indicating the priority for United will be to finish behind Bayern Munich in the group and qualify for the knockouts, Sheth suggested a failure to do that could result in ten Hag facing the chop:

“He’s Manchester United manager, he’s going to be under pressure with every single game. Those stats, of course, don't make for good reading. And if someone had said, you know, he'd lose three of his first four Champions League games, then you would assume that Manchester United would have been out of the competition already. But the way the results have worked out, I think, yes, of course, he's under pressure, they'll wait until the end of the Champions League campaign before assessing anything is what I would predict. Because there's still a possibility that United can make it through this Champions League group.”

Man United's Champions League permutations

While they may enter the final two group games bottom of the table, remarkably there still remains a fighting chance for United to make it into the knockouts. All of that will depend on the result of their clash with Galatasaray in Istanbul, which is coming up shortly after the international break.

Should Galatasaray beat United, they will take themselves onto seven points, which will prove too much for United - who themselves are currently on three - to catch. But, if ten Hag's side can take an unlikely win from the Turkish capital, it sets them up nicely for their final group game of the campaign against six-time winners Bayern Munich.

Not the ideal encounter for the final match of the group, the only saving grace for United in regard to the schedule is that Bayern Munich have already wrapped up qualification to the last 16 as winners. The German giants currently sit on 12 points, which is too much for the likes of Copenhagen, Galatasaray and United to make up.

As a result, there is every chance Bayern Munich could field a weakened side for their trip to Greater Manchester, which in turn could open up a window of opportunity for ten Hag to rescue United's Champions League campaign, and possibly even his job.