- Van Gaal admits that Erik ten Hag has disappointed in a dismal season at Old Trafford
- Ten Hag’s future at Man United remains in doubt during the end-of-season review
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Louis van Gaal has admitted that Erik ten Hag has not ‘done things fantastically’ at Manchester United as he had his say on whether his Dutch compatriot should be sacked or not.
The Red Devils are in the middle of an end-of-season evaluation. If completed, the Dutchman could be ousted as manager after a disappointing league campaign.
The club’s minority owner, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, has made a number of significant changes to transform the club off the pitch and there has been plenty of speculation in recent months that a similar change will take place in the dugout.
However, former boss Van Gaal says Ten Hag should remain at Old Trafford, even though he was sacked as United boss immediately after winning the FA Cup in 2016.
‘Yes of course (must be given more time). But at that moment I also needed more time. “I also won the FA Cup and before me no one (at Man United) has won the FA Cup for 20 years,” he told Air sports.
Louis van Gaal admits Erik Ten Hag ‘didn’t do things great’ at Manchester United
Ten Hag’s future at Old Trafford remains in doubt after the Red Devils’ dismal season
‘Now Erik wins the FA Cup and the Champions League in the first year, so I don’t think you have to fire him. He needs more time.
‘But I can also be more critical. He didn’t do things great. You can criticize a lot, but he has also shown that he is a good manager.’
After a strong first season in charge following the move from Ajax, in which Ten Hag guided United to third place in the Premier League and enjoyed success in the Carabao Cup, United have slipped backwards.
Their European campaign was over by Christmas after finishing bottom of a group with Bayern Munich, Copenhagen and Galatasaray, while Newcastle knocked them out of the Carabao Cup.
The turbulent season saw the Red Devils subsequently finish eighth in the table, their worst ever Premier League finish.
Van Gaal was sacked as Red Devils boss immediately after winning the 2016 FA Cup
United finally secured silverware at the end as they defeated rivals Manchester City to claim their 13th FA Cup.
The poor season came after significant investment in Ten Hag’s squad, with an initial £64m spent on striker Rasmus Hojlund, £55m on midfielder Mason Mount and £43.8m on goalkeeper Andre Onana.
England boss Gareth Southgate is reportedly United’s top choice to replace Ten Hag if they decide to sack the Dutchman this summer.