Manchester United players 'expect Erik ten Hag to be sacked' as manager called 'deluded' after derby defeat
Manchester United players expected Erik ten Hag to be sacked this summer.
According to the Daily Mail, the under-fire manager still has the support of his squad but many in the dressing room believe it's likely the Dutchman will be replaced at the end of the season.
Another humbling in the Manchester derby made it two Premier League defeats in a week - and a remarkable 11 in 27 games this season - to leave them 11 points adrift of the top four.
Ten Hag believes he has the backing of new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his Ineos sporting director Sir Dave Brailsford, but it has reportedly long been planned that the manager's position will be assessed in the summer.
Champions League qualification, or an unlikely FA Cup win, could give Ten Hag a stay of execution, but it has already been claimed in France that Ratcliffe is desperate to convince Zinedine Zidane to take over.
Ten Hag has regularly raised eyebrows with his post-match thoughts after defeats, most recently claiming United could have beaten City on Sunday despite a stark gulf in class between the two teams and a clear dominance from the reigning champions.
Former Chelsea striker Chris Sutton was one to express disbelief at the remarks, telling the It's All Kicking Off podcast: "Erik ten Hag is deluded. I think Man United have done a full circle under him.
"His first Manchester derby they lost 6-3 and I predicted a cricket score that day and I went for that again yesterday. Man City are so far ahead of Man United (but) the biggest concern - and I appreciate managers have to put a positive spin on things - is listening to Ten Hag saying things like 'we are progressing, that was a good performance.'
"If I was a Man United fan I would really be questioning what the manager is saying and the way the team are playing. The truth is I don't think anyone sees a future for Erik ten Hag (at United) beyond this season."