I own an EFL club and I would have already sacked Erik ten Hag from Manchester United.
Manchester United should have already sacked Erik ten Hag as their manager amid a disappointing start to the season.
That is the opinion of Hull City owner Acun Ilicali, who believes that the Dutchman “does not fit well” at the club and that their relationship is “cold.”
The third season of Ten Hag as united man The boss arrived after being handed a one-year contract extension in July after guiding the club to FA Cup glory, but the new campaign has so far proved disappointing.
TO 1-1 draw against Fenerbahçe in the Europa League on Thursday left the Red Devils with just one win in seven games in all competitions.
Uncertainty over Ten Hag's future in the United dugout first became apparent last season and poor results have only increased the pressure, although the manager insists he is not sorry.
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The Dutchman recently criticized the media for writing 'fairy tales' and 'lies' about their workbut one club owner is surprised he still has one.
Turkish businessman Ilicali completed his acquisition of Championship side Peel in 2022 for £20 million through his company ACUNMEDYA.
He oversaw three managerial sackings in that time and told talkSPORT he would have parted ways with Ten Hag by now if he had the keys at Old Trafford.
Ilicali also expressed his opinion that Ten Hag, and some of his Dutch counterparts, is a “cold” coach who lacks the “human touch” that coaches such as Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp show towards their players.
“He's a good coach, but sometimes chemistry doesn't happen in football,” Ilicali, who is also Fenerbahce vice president, said in the interview. White and Jordan live show from Istanbul.
“The same thing happened to Bayern Munich too. For me, I always look in my mind one or two steps ahead, I imagine, then I decide about today and I always decide early. I don't want to waste time.
“So I think, unfortunately, this match is not a good match for the coach and the club. From my point of view, there should have been a separation before.
“I didn't expect too much from Manchester United because, although Manchester United are a great team and a fantastic brand, unfortunately with the way they play, they were disappointing last year. They didn't have a big impact (against Fenerbahçe).
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“Actually, I don't think the Dutch mentality is very suitable for Britain. If you ask me my opinion, the reason why German coaches are more successful is that they are more down-to-earth and flexible, so They started to be successful.” All over the world.
“I don't speak individually, I speak in general, but the Dutch coaches are a little bit colder, everyone is more distant with the team. And that's what I see in Manchester in general: everything is too mechanical, I mean, there is no one human feeling, sorry.
“A coach like (Jurgen) Klopp, for example, (Pep) Guardiola, feels that human contact with them. They hug, they do it. Unfortunately, I don't see it (with Ten Hag at Man United).
“I feel this coldness, a mechanical feeling: everyone comes, does their job, then goes home and this becomes a normal life for them. But (Jose) Mourinho is a fighter, Klopp is a fighter, Guardiola is a fighter “They have this emotional passion.”
He is not the only one surprised to still see Ten Hag on the Old Trafford bench: several United fans also expressed their opinion after seeing how their dismal European record continues.
United have just one win in European competition in 18 months, having been knocked out of the Champions League group stage last season.
Some have even accused Ten Hag of “illuminating” the United fan base with his insistence that things are going well, despite ranking 12th in the Premier League and 21st in the new Europa League format. .
After Fenerbahce's draw, Ten Hag stated that United are difficult to beat despite failing to win a game in Europe so far this season.
“I think when you get two points (against) Porto and Fenerbahce, you show that we are a difficult team to beat,” he told TNT Sports.
“We showed that again today, so we can regain confidence in this game and take it to the league against West Ham.”
However, United fans on social media have shown their frustration, with one posting on X: “He's not doing himself any favours.”
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“Surely it's in full swing? Why do all the decent coaches lose their minds at this club?” asked a second.
Another said: “You can't fool me into thinking this is acceptable. The style of play is non-existent. The football is terrible. There is no sustainable growth. Sporadic moments are not enough, I don't see enough consistency in what it is trying to be.” accomplished. We have a bad sample size.”
“If this is the coach's mentality… I don't even want to imagine what the players' mentality is like,” added a fourth.
One fan even texted White and Jordan to say: “No tactics, no charisma, no long-term plan, the 7-0 defeat against Liverpool was enough for me and he hasn't improved much. Get him out now! !”.
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United have played 13 games in all competitions so far this season, but have only managed four wins during that run.
Three of them have come in the Premier League as they sit 12th in the table and six points outside the top four.
Brighton, Liverpool and Tottenham have beaten them, and the last two did so at Old Trafford.
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United's only other win in the campaign came against League One side Barnsley in the third round of the Carabao Cup when they won 7-0.
Thursday's draw at Fenerbahce allowed them to take the lead, but they failed to win for the third consecutive Europa League match.
Their three points place them in 21st place in the standings, a final result that would make them need to win in the play-off round to advance to the round of 16.
Next Sunday, United will face West Ham away from home in the Premier League in search of three crucial points to ensure they are no further behind the leading group.
