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Eric ten Hag's Manchester United tenure has resulted in fashion and he’s shedding fan credit score within the financial institution with each poor efficiency.
This can be a far cry from the occasions of the earlier season, the place he ended the membership's trophy drought and introduced it again to the Champions League.
Many followers thought they’d lastly discovered the precise supervisor to guide them into a brand new period, however this season has put these claims to relaxation, shocking many.
Depend Michael Owen out of the checklist of those that are shocked and dreaming of a profitable future below the Dutchman after final season's collapse.
In an unique interview with The Folks's Individual carried out by Bettides, I requested Owen how he seen Ten Hag's tenure amid the thrill of the primary season.
Owen mentioned that regardless of good outcomes the earlier season, he noticed one thing within the staff that instructed him they have been massively underachieving.
He mentioned: “I don't assume my eyes misinform me. Though they reached one cup closing and gained one other, for instance, in Europe they have been actually poor. “On the face of it, they weren’t a really assured staff.”
The criticism leveled at Ten Hag partly stems from the truth that followers have been searching for causes behind this decline and the supervisor's “new” philosophy of offensive urgent has been blamed.
Michael Owen doesn't agree with that concept, saying he hasn't modified a lot.
He mentioned: “I don't assume he's modified a lot. I nonetheless take a look at them and assume nothing completely different from what I did previously months and years.
“On paper, they’d an okay season however I don't assume many followers have been pleased with what they have been seeing.”
Owen's concept, differing from the prevailing consensus, additionally is sensible logically, as a result of even final season, as United suffered accidents, their performances deteriorated, particularly after the Carabao Cup win in early 2023.
Nonetheless, by that point, United had constructed up appreciable momentum which might carry them to the tip of the season. Nonetheless, the harm scenario has been dire this season and it appears Ten Hag is on the brink.
Owen predicted doom for the Dutchman's profession at Previous Trafford, particularly with Sir Jim Ratcliffe's new regime increasing its footprint on the membership.
He mentioned: “To be as profitable as Sir Jim has been, you have got to have the ability to make huge choices.
“I might be shocked if Ten Hag will likely be supervisor subsequent season. 'In the meanwhile, the one factor is that there’s a huge lack of remarkable candidates who can take over, particularly as there are vacancies at different huge golf equipment, like Liverpool and Bayern Munich for instance.'
United have been linked with names like Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter, Antonio Conte and Roberto De Zerbi, however relating to Owen, there are particular asterisks subsequent to each title.
There isn’t a clear possibility as there was when United have been selecting between Eric ten Hag and Mauricio Pochettino in the summertime of 2023.
Maybe this can give Ten Hag an extended lease to strengthen his credentials till a minimum of the tip of the season, but when outcomes proceed to deteriorate, persistence could shortly put on skinny, making Owen's prediction come true.