Rio Ferdinand calls out Man Utd for major mistake before sacking Erik ten Hag as manager

INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe placed faith in former Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag with a contract extension this summer but evidently regretted their decision

Rio Ferdinand has been critical of new Manchester United minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS for their treatment of Erik ten Hag.

Having slumped to the club’s worst-ever Premier League finish last season, Ten Hag found himself on the chopping block. Yet, his FA Cup win saw him backed by United’s hierarchy and handed a one-year extension.

However, with the Dutchman still at the helm, rumours swirled about potential replacements, and reports suggested that Ratcliffe and Co dipped their toes in the market, speaking to several potential managers before sticking with their man.

Now, with the 54-year-old being ousted just nine league games into the season, and Ruben Amorim in talks to become the new man in charge, Ferdinand has condemned the ownership's treatment of the former boss, believing that they backed themselves into a corner by keeping Ten Hag in a job over the summer.

He said on his Rio Ferdinand Presents YouTube channel: “I look at INEOS, and I think about the way that things panned out at the end of the season - did they back themselves into a corner with the way they handled stuff in the summer?

“I think retrospectively, I think they’ll look back and go: ‘Look we could’ve handled this differently, handled this better.' I think having a manager in place and actively looking for new managers and it becoming public knowledge isn’t a great way to do it."

Amorim is the No. 1 target to replace Ten Hag, with talks progressing between both parties - but Ferdinand is adamant the Portuguese would not be in for an easy ride should he arrive.

“It’s hard for the guy coming in - to come in under that cloud," Ferdinand added. "It is also even harder for the guy who is in that seat, in the hot seat, still the manager and then they keep him in as manager.

"He [Ten Hag] had to face and field questions constantly about his standing within the organisation because Man Utd were looking and talking to potential new managers while he was sitting in the hot seat. Not a great way to start I don’t think.

"But, I think, listen, it's difficult, it’s hard, it's not easy to do this, it's not easy to navigate through a situation that is so public, a club the size of Manchester United. But, I think if they’re honest, INEOS, they could’ve done that in a better way, and I think in time, down the line, when we look back, I think they’ll be in 100 per cent agreement."

Ferdinand also feels as though the tipping point for Ten Hag's tenure was the 3-0 home defeat to Liverpool - which the Dutchman and his squad never quite recovered from.

"They’ve kept the man in charge. The season kicks in. I actually thought we were starting to see some new signs in the first two or three games, and then we get beat by Liverpool, and we never recovered," he argued.

"It was like a boxer getting hit and knocked down in the third round and never recovering, getting knocked out, and getting knocked down every single round on the way to the 12th round. Finally, we’re here. The fight has been called off in the last round for the manager, and I think now we’re going to go in a new direction."

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