Erik ten Hag told he's not to blame for Man Utd struggles as crunch meeting begins

Erik ten Hag's fate as Man Utd boss will be decided at an executive board meeting today, with Old Trafford legend Andy Cole insisting the manager is not solely to blame for the team's current crisis

Erik ten Hag is not solely to blame for Manchester United’s current crisis - according to their former striker Andy Cole.

Ten Hag’s job is on the line after United’s worst-ever start to a Premier League campaign, which has left them down in 14th place in the table.

United have won just two of their opening seven league fixtures, managing to score only five goals and have a goal difference of minus three. They have also failed to score in their last three league outings.

The Red Devils have also made an underwhelming start to their Europa League campaign, drawing 1-1 at home to FC Twente and 3-3 away to Porto - after blowing a 2-0 lead.

Against that backdrop, Ten Hag is fighting to keep his job, with his fate set to be decided at a United board meeting on Tuesday in London, attended by co-chairman Joel Glazer, co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the club’s football executive team.

Despite United’s woeful start to the season, legendary former striker Cole claimed Ten Hag should not shoulder the blame entirely and said his players need to take responsibility for their part in the team’s current plight

“Whatever the people in charge decide to do, it will be done with the best interests of the club in mind,” Cole told Betfred.

“However you look at it, for an individual to win two cup competitions in their first two seasons at Manchester United, that’s not lucky. You can’t be lucky two seasons on the bounce.

“The club will do whatever they decide to do, but if you look at the bigger picture, you can’t just blame the manager. The manager picks the players, but the players are the ones that have to go out there and win football matches. That’s the way it is.”

Ten Hag has defended his record at United by pointing to the two trophies he has won in as many seasons - the League Cup in his debut campaign and the FA Cup last term, when they beat local rivals Manchester City 2-1.

Cole hailed those achievements and warned the United hierarchy that if they decide to ditch Ten Hag, there is no guarantee they will be more successful with a new manager in charge.

“It’s the same as any other manager because they want to be given a chance and they want to be given an opportunity,” said Cole. "Sir Alex Ferguson, the greatest manager in the club’s history, didn’t win a trophy in his first three years at Manchester United.

“Does constantly changing managers help? No it doesn’t. Winning two cups in two seasons isn’t easy to do, regardless of what others say. If it was easy to do, then everyone would.

“If you take away Pep Guardiola, if you look at all the ‘elite’ managers in England at the moment, what have they won? They haven’t won a couple of trophies in their first two seasons have they? If I was a manager and I won the League Cup and FA Cup in my first two seasons at a club like Manchester United, then I’d be buzzing.

“I’ve met Erik a few times and he’s a very nice guy, so I can only judge somebody by how they treat me.”

Andy Cole was speaking to Betfred. The full interview can be found here.

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.

This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more

Sky Sports deal

Sky Sports launches 'lowest price' Premier League package
£43 (was £52)

Sky has slashed the price of its Sky Sports, Sky Stream, Sky TV and Netflix bundle in an unbeatable new deal that saves £216 and includes 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.

With Ultra HD included at no extra cost, football fans can enjoy the 2024/25 season with crystal clear picture quality.

Sky
Get the deal here