Erik ten Hag told to ‘shut up’ before Liverpool clash

Carlo Garganese

• 17 Dec 2023 09:39 GMT
• 3 min read

Erik ten Hag has been told to keep his mouth shut and stop making excuses for Manchester United’s dreadful performances.

Tim Sherwood says that Ten Hag has no one to blame for Man Utd’s current problems and that he also needs to give some of his talented youngsters more of a run in the team.

Man Utd have made their worst start to a Premier League season in over 30 years, having already lost seven games and with a goal difference in the minus.

What did Tim Sherwood say about Ten Hag?

“I’m not sure the players know what the process is. I’m sure he [Ten Hag] does if he’s saying there is one,’ Sherwood said on Sky Sports.

“He makes all the right noises, he keeps himself very calm and he’s a good talker. He needs to get a performance out of his side because at the moment there’s no style of play. There’s no improving of any individuals.

“I scratch my head when I look at the boy Hannibal [Mejbri]. A couple of months ago, he got back in the team, was outstanding and left out as soon as a “superstar”, like [Sofyan] Amrabat or whoever, became fit.

“Kobbie Mainoo – who was outstanding when he came in – exactly the same has happened to him.

“He’s had two players in Scott McTominay and Maguire who he wanted to get rid of and they’re the two who have really stood up and tried to get him out of the mire,’ he added.

“He is having a real bad time of it at the moment and they’re getting away with it. You have to stop hiding behind the Glazers, you have to stop hiding behind the training ground, the holes in the roof at Old Trafford.

“It doesn’t matter. It matters in the long term, but the manager has to do his job and he has to get the best out of the individuals. The Glazers cannot be the scapegoats. It cannot be.

“When you lose to Bournemouth at home, it’s unacceptable no matter what team you put out. We know they’ve got injuries and they tell us about them all the time. Every single club in the Premier League has got injuries.

“Keep your mouth shut, work on the training pitch and get them players to perform for that badge. At the moment they’re not.’

Ten Hag joined Man Utd in the summer of 2022 and enjoyed a decent first season as he took the club back into the Champions League, won the League Cup and reached the FA Cup final.

However, the 2023-24 campaign has been a total disaster for Ten Hag. United have lost seven of their 16 Premier League games and face a big struggle to finish in the top four.

They are already out of the League Cup but worst of all were humiliated and eliminated from the Champions League group stages.

Man Utd play Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday and there are reports another defeat could see Ten Hag risk getting sacked.