Erik Ten Hag will not remain Manchester United’s manager beyond this summer, regardless of what the Dutchman achieves between now and the end of the season.
That is the view of former Liverpool and Aston Villa attacker Stan Collymore, who believes time at Old Trafford is up for the 54-year-old following what has been a ‘massively underwhelming’ two seasons.
Despite winning the Carabao Cup last season, Ten Hag has remained one of the favourites to be dismissed from his role next due to poor performances and struggling to establish an identity.
And Collymore thinks lifting that trophy has put the former Ajax manager on ‘borrowed time’ he wouldn’t have otherwise had.
“I am convinced Erik Ten Hag will be sacked by Manchester United at the end of the season, regardless,” he said in an exclusive interview.
“There is no way United are going to continue with him after what has been a massively underwhelming second season in charge.
“He’s been on borrowed time for a long time and the only reason he’s been given as much time as he has is because they won the Carabao Cup last season — without winning that trophy, he’d probably already be gone by now.”
Going on to explain where the Dutchman has gone wrong since arriving at Old Trafford in April 2022, Collymore added: “He hasn’t been able to come into the club and get everyone to buy into his philosophy.
“The best manager to do this in recent times has been Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool. When he arrived at Anfield, he went into that dressing room and said ‘Right, who is coming into the trenches with me?’ and they all did. They bought into every single thing that man said and did and they followed him.
“Unfortunately for Ten Hag, he doesn’t have anywhere near that same kind of pull at Manchester United, and it shows.”
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