Richard Keys has criticized Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag, questioning whether or not the club is really “in a better position” under the Dutchman’s tenure.
Ten Hag led United to Carabao Cup victory over Newcastle in February, ending the club’s six-year trophy drought. He has also led the Red Devils to the FA Cup final, in which they will face Manchester City before the season ends.
Nine points from their final four games will guarantee Man United a place in the top four and a return to the Champions League after a disappointing season.
Ten Hag Has Taken Man United ‘Nowhere’
However, Keys has argued that this is the bare minimum after a summer of lavish expenditure by United. After consecutive losses to Brighton and West Ham, both by a single goal, nothing is certain regarding Man United competing in the Champions League next season.
“Ten Hag spent a record £220m last summer – more than United have ever spent in one window – to take them precisely…..nowhere,” Keys wrote this week.
“And he’s run out of excuses. There’s only so many times you can blame players for being ‘unprofessional’, or for not ‘sticking to the game plan’. That talk all wears a bit thin in a dressing room after a while,” the pundit explained.
The writer all but dismissed United’s chances of beating Manchester City at Wembley in June, and said all that remains for the club to realistically chase is European football.
“Ten Hag MUST deliver CL football. Nothing else will do,” the journalist stated.
“If he does – ok – he buys himself another season. If he doesn’t – a League Cup win won’t be enough from this campaign. There was a time when United fans were embarrassed to win that trophy. How times have changed.”
Man United Squad Rested Ahead of Crucial Fixtures
United’s recent defeats to Brighton and West Ham have left them just one point ahead of fifth-place Liverpool, but they do have a game in hand. Ten Hag’s men can also no longer secure Champions League qualification with a Europa League win, having fallen to Sevilla at the quarter-final stage.
The former Ajax manager has given his players two days of rest to his squad in an effort to reinvigorate them before the upcoming four crucial league games.
Three of United’s final four matches will be played at Old Trafford, commencing on May 13 against Wolves. Given that they will also play Bournemouth, Chelsea and Fulham, the club still look likely to secure a place in the top four.
“It’s the first time since Christmas that those players have a full week,” Ten Hag told reporters after the loss at the London Stadium. “We have to reset, reload, get the energy back and keep going.”
“But tiredness is in your head. If you want, if you have the willingness, you can take it. It’s now up to the players, me and the coaching staff to be together, get the willingness in and the belief that we can take it and this team has it.”
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