Paul Scholes gives brutally honest take on Erik ten Hag’s Man Utd future under INEOS

Paul Scholes believes Erik ten Hag’s fate at Manchester United has already been decided (Image: Premier League Productions)

Manchester United legend In the wake of Sunday’s disheartening loss in the Manchester derby, Paul Scholes has suspicions that Ineos have already decided Erik ten Hag’s fate.

For Paul Scholes, Erik ten Hag’s future as Manchester United manager is already decided upon by Ineos and Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

The 3-1 loss to Manchester City will not relieve the scrutiny on Ten Hag, who was already under pressure going into Sunday’s Manchester derby due to United’s lackluster campaign. After this loss, United are now eleven points behind fourth place in the Premier League, with a total of sixty-seven games played.

Ten Hag is expected to depart if Ineos does not make it to the Champions League, and there have been rumors that the club may choose to replace its manager before the 2024–25 season. But according to Scholes, the club’s new management has already decided on the Dutchman.

“What we’re seeing is a million miles away from a team that should be challenging for the league,” he told Optus Sport after the Etihad meeting. No matter the season, it always seems so far away.

“I believe they [INEOS] have already made their mind up,” Scholes said in response to the question of whether he anticipated Ten Hag’s continued employment at the beginning of the following season. His presence next season is highly doubtful, in my opinion. No.

It seemed to me from the interviews we’ve heard with Sir Jim that the club had been somewhat maligned for the past decade or so, particularly in the past two. The way things are going, I don’t think he’s happy. It would not surprise me in the least if they are currently seeking a new manager. It’s not the right choice, I’m afraid.

Ten Hag’s future has been the subject of increasing speculation in recent weeks due to Ratcliffe’s decision not to publicly support him. However, he maintained prior to the Manchester derby that he was self-sufficient and did not require any public demonstration of support from the club’s new management.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe has refused to be drawn on Erik ten Hag’s future in recent weeks ( Image: Robbie Jay Barratt/AMA)

Last week, he made the following statement: “I’m here, I’m under contract for three seasons, so I don’t care.” Because I am engrossed in this process, I am oblivious to the world around me. Sir Jim Radcliffe, Sir Dave Brailsford, and others in that group have been the subjects of numerous conversations with me.

I feel like they believe in me, and I know exactly what we’re talking about. I am not, however, concentrating on my own situation. All I can think about is the team, and I need to figure out how to help them perform at their highest potential.

It’s critical to keep your mind on that and ignore outside stimuli. Trust me, I’m an expert. Every time we meet, we discuss our plans for the future.