Jamie Carragher reveals when he expects Erik ten Hag to be sacked – and slams Man United execs as they meet in London with his fate on the line

Liverpool icon Jamie Carragher has slammed Manchester United’s owners for their treatment of under-fire Erik ten Hag as they meet for talks over the Dutch manager on Tuesday.

The Red Devils have endured their worst ever start to a Premier League season after seven games, with just five goals and two wins to kick off a hugely important campaign for Ten Hag.

There were many question marks surrounding the manager this summer, not least after Sir Jim Ratcliffe met with Thomas Tuchel about the position but was turned down.

The board instead offered Ten Hag a new contract at Old Trafford, although those questions were starting to return given the poor start to the season he has had.

Despite his connections to United’s nemesis Liverpool, Carragher has been quick to target the United hierarchy over their treatment of Ten Hag. He claims and has given his prediction on when he thinks the manager will be fired.

Ten Hag kept his job in the summer, but is now under great pressure again after United’s poor start to the season

Sir Jim Ratcliffe (right) was seen arriving for a meeting with Man United chiefs on Tuesday

“I probably find it difficult to make the next international breakthrough,” he told Sky Sports. ‘Maybe he’s still the manager. Listen, if the results change, of course he will.

‘But at Man United it’s not just about results. For a long time it was actually about performances. When they get results, it often feels a bit happy in some ways.

“I think it felt like last season that Scott McTominay scored so many last-minute goals for them. You know that if performance does not improve, sooner or later they will not be able to achieve sustainable results.

‘Maybe they get a result here and there, that’s football. That’s why we love the game, unexpected things can happen. The start of this season hasn’t been all that different in terms of performance and basically the same things we saw last season.

‘I think it will be difficult for him. I feel sorry for him because I think he’s had to dry up a bit because of what happened in the summer with the owner talking to other managers.

“So I feel for him. No manager or anyone with a job would want their bosses speaking publicly to many different people within the game. But it will be difficult for him to see out the season.”

The United hierarchy met in Knightsbridge earlier on Tuesday, with Ratcliffe joined by Sir Dave Brailsford and Dan Ashworth at his London office.

Minority owner Ratcliffe watched United’s goalless draw against Aston Villa with Brailsford director, CEO Omar Berrada, sporting director Ashworth and technical director Jason Wilcox on Sunday.

Discussions about Ten Hag’s future continued into Monday and will be back on the agenda when co-chairman Joel Glazer, chief operating officer Collette Roche and chief financial officer Roger Bell join them for Tuesday’s executive committee meeting.

Ratcliffe and United’s hierarchy were in attendance for the draw against Aston Villa

Sir Dave Brailsford (right) was among those spotted by ITV News arriving on Tuesday

United are wary of fueling speculation over Ten Hag’s future after Thomas Tuchel and Simone Inzaghi were linked with the job if he is sacked after just over two years in charge at Old Trafford.

Ratcliffe is known as an admirer of Tuchel and met the German coach in Monaco over the summer when Ten Hag’s future for the FA Cup final was in doubt.

Tuchel is still available, but it is unclear whether the obstacles that prevented him from replacing Ten Hag can now be overcome.

Money was said to be one of them. It is understood there has been no new contact between United and its representatives at this stage.