Soccer
“It could end really badly” – Treble Winner Dwight Yorke Says Erik ten Hag Must Win Next Two Games to Save Manchester United Job
Dwight Yorke, who won the Treble with Manchester United in 1998-99, has said Erik ten Hag must win the next two matches to remain in charge of the Red Devils. United will host FC Porto in the UEFA Europa League on October 3 and make the trip to Villa Park for their Premier League Matchday 7 clash with Aston Villa on October 6.
Erik ten Hag Is Under Massive Pressure
Despite spending over $250 million on new players in the summer transfer window, Manchester United find themselves in the bottom half (13th) of the Premier League table after six rounds of fixtures. Ten Hag’s men have won two matches, drawn once, and lost thrice, amassing a total of seven points — their joint-worst return in Premier League history.
Manchester United have suffered two mega 3-0 defeats at the hands of their league rivals. On September 1, Liverpool walked away with a 3-0 win from Old Trafford. On September 29, Tottenham Hotspur repeated the scoreline at the Theater of Dreams. United also failed to impress in their UEFA Europa League opener, drawing 1-1 with minnows FC Twente at home.
Due to such underwhelming results, Ten Hag has come under heavy fire, with many reports linking him with a mid-season departure.
Dwight Yorke Says Erik ten Hag Must Deliver in Next Two Games To Keep Manchester United Job
Yorke, who spent four years at Old Trafford between 1998 and 2002, believes Ten Hag’s back is against the wall, and he could be shown the exit door if things do not work out in the next two games.
Speaking to Prime Casino, he said (via Daily Star):
“I think it’s at that stage where ten Hag cannot afford to lose. The distraction would be that United play Porto in the Europa League, and then the attention is quickly back on the Premier League.
“And with that comes enormous scrutiny on the back of such a heavy defeat against Tottenham. Villa Park is not the easiest place to go and get a result, and I’m not sure he’ll be looking forward to this.”
He concluded by adding:
“It could end really badly for him this week if he does not get the players back to doing what they should, in terms of digging the club out of the hole they’ve dug for themselves. This is enormous. I think this could make or break him at United, to be honest.”
Manchester United has played 126 matches under Ten Hag since he became manager in July 2022. They have won 71, drawn 17, and lost 35 games.