- Erik ten Hag has pointed to his trophy record as proof of his progress at United
- Alan Shearer has snubbed that argument in favour of Mikel Arteta at Arsenal
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Alan Shearer believes one sign demonstrates how Mikel Arteta has done a better job at Arsenal than Erik ten Hag has at Manchester United’s.
Arteta is into his fifth season at the Arsenal helm and has rejuvenated the club, steering them to second in the Premier League twice and an FA Cup triumph in 2020.
However, Ten Hag is adamant his trophy record puts him on a pedestal after winning the FA Cup and Carabao Cup in his two years at Old Trafford.
This month he was embroiled in a fiery exchange with Mail Sport’s Ian Ladyman, saying: ‘I think we won, after City, the most trophies in English football (since I came in) so I’m sorry for you.’
But as Shearer told Betfair, the fact that Arteta has been able to challenge for league titles while Ten Hag has not is the indicator of the gulf between them.
Alan Shearer believes Mikel Arteta has done more to progress Arsenal than Erik ten Hag has Manchester United
Ten Hag thinks his record of winning two trophies should command great respect
For Shearer, it is more significant that Arsenal have been able to challenge Man City in the Premier League
‘Man United have been nowhere near challenging Man City in terms of league positions and that is the big difference in why Arteta has been a success at Arsenal, compared to Ten Hag at Manchester United,’ Shearer told Betfair.
‘I understand that Arteta has only won one FA Cup in his time there, but there’s no doubt that there’s certainly progress within the football club, and they’re improving all the time.
‘When we compare that to Erik Ten Hag and Manchester United, we’d be speaking about the pressure Arteta’s under if Arsenal were finishing eighth or ninth, like Man Utd did last season, albeit they did win the FA Cup.
‘These teams must be getting into the Champions League every season, and they have to be challenging at the top like Man City.
‘His (Arteta’s) time at Arsenal can be considered a success because they have improved and are still improving. They’re trying so hard to keep up with the juggernaut of Man City.
‘Liverpool managed to get over the line a few years ago and win the title, but we are talking about a genius in Pep Guardiola and the finance he’s got behind him at Man City, means when you put all that together, they’re almost impossible to get through.
‘That’s what the challenge is for Liverpool, for Arsenal or any team that’s hoping to get near Man City. It’s a very, very difficult job.’
Arsenal are again City’s closest challengers so far this season having collected 10 points in four games, leaving them two off Pep Guardiola’s pacesetters.
United did show their potential as they crushed Barnsley 7-0 on Tuesday night at Old Trafford
Meanwhile, United are 10th. Last season they finished eighth in the league and were knocked out of the Champions League after finishing bottom of a group including Galatasaray, Copenhagen and Bayern Munich.
There are springs of hope, however, after Tuesday night’s 7-0 thrashing of Barnsley in the Carabao Cup, which brought a feel-good factor back to Old Trafford.
In the aftermath, Barnsley’s manager Darrell Clarke was so irate that he threatened to ‘slap’ his players if they raise one particular issue in conversation.