Erik ten Hag admits Man Utd ‘may very well be relegated’ as former boss points warning
Former Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has admitted that relegation is a genuine possibility for his former side – who are only outside the bottom three on goal difference
Michael Carrick’s Manchester United are outside of the relegation zone on goal difference(Image: GLYN KIRK, AFP via Getty Images)
Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has warned that relegation is a very real threat for his old club. Michael Carrick’s side have endured a nightmare start to the season and are only outside of the bottom three on goal difference.
United suffered their third consecutive defeat at the weekend, going down to Chelsea and finishing with 10 men, piling yet more pressure on Carrick. The United legend now faces becoming the third manager to be axed by the INEOS hierarchy in just over two years.
Ten Hag himself was the first to go, shown the exit door in 2024 when United languished in 14th place.
Erik ten Hag has warned Manchester United could be relegated(Image: ESPN)
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Things have gone from bad to worse since then, with the club now sitting in 17th, having claimed just one win from their nine Premier League outings – that solitary victory coming against newly promoted Ipswich at Old Trafford.
United haven’t been relegated since 1974, but Ten Hag, who lifted a domestic cup trophy in each of his two full seasons at the helm, concedes that a drop into the Championship cannot be discounted given the club’s alarming decline.
The Dutch tactician was pressed on United’s relegation prospects and told ESPN NL’s ‘Goedemorgen Eredivisie’: “In the Premier League it’s certainly possible, because all the teams are simply strong.
“They’re all strong squads, all good managers. And if you end up on the wrong side once and you really get into that vicious circle – yes, then it can become very, very difficult.”
Ten Hag was sacked by United in 2024(Image: Justin Setterfield, Getty Images)
Despite all their troubles since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure, this is uncharted waters for the Red Devils. United haven’t found themselves in the drop zone after nine matches or more since November 1986, when they managed just one point from Ferguson’s opening two games following Ron Atkinson’s sacking.
The fixture list doesn’t offer much respite for United, suggesting things could deteriorate further before any improvement materialises. Their next Premier League clash sees them take on Aston Villa before making the trip to Liverpool.
On the threat of relegation, Carrick commented: “We’ve got to keep moving forward and winning games, simple as that. There’s no words that I’m going to explain to you now that makes it [being in relegation zone] any difference, it’s not going to change it.”
The United boss, who only secured the role permanently over the summer, insisted it was about perspective. “You can look at it like that [negatively] and you can look at how far you can move up the league quite quickly if you win football matches,” he explained. “So that’s the way it’s got to be approached, for sure.”
