Man Utd: Gary Neville believes Man Utd have already made a decision on Erik ten

Gary Neville on Erik ten Hag’s future at Man Utd under Sir Jim Ratcliffe: “I suspect they’ve already come to a conclusion already. It may already be that it’s Champions League or not, they still will stick with that decision.”

Gary Neville believes Man Utd may have already made a decision on manager Erik ten Hag’s future – regardless of whether he can get the club into the Champions League.

United’s four-match winning streak in the Premier League was brought to a crashing halt by Fulham at the weekend, when the Cottagers left Old Trafford with a 2-1 victory, to leave Ten Hag’s side eight points off the top four.

Though the revamped Champions League format means finishing fifth would likely be enough to secure a Champions League spot, former club captain Neville, speaking on Monday Night Football, pointed to the club’s confused playing style under Ten Hag as a serious concern.

He added that incoming minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who now leads football operations at the club, may well have already decided his course of action given Barcelona, Liverpool and Bayern Munich are already on the look-out for new managers to take up positions this summer.

“If you look at [Omar Berrada] coming in from City as CEO, and looking to get Dan Ashworth from Newcastle, they’re going to make a decision quite quickly if they haven’t already,” he said.

“I suspect Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Dave Brailsford already know whether Erik ten Hag will be the manager next season. I can’t believe they’re going to wait until May to make that decision, and then leave themselves short.

“Where Man Utd have been found out in the last 10 years in recruitment is making poor decisions, late decisions, not being ahead of the game.

“I don’t think they’re going to do that, so for me I suspect they’ve already come to a conclusion already. It may already be that it’s Champions League or not, they still will stick with that decision.”

Neville pointed to Man Utd’s long-running lack of a clear philosophy – contrasted with Jurgen Klopp’s counter-pressing at Liverpool and Pep Guardiola’s possession game at Man City – to raise questions about the direction of travel under Ten Hag, whose side have already lost one more…