- Man United suffered their second 3-0 defeat at Old Trafford in as many matches
- The dismal defeat against Newcastle ramped up pressure on Erik ten Hag
- Listen to the latest episode of Mail Sport’s podcast ‘It’s All Kicking Off!’
Gary Neville has admitted Manchester United’s ‘awful performances’ are worrying for Erik ten Hag as pressure builds on the Red Devils’ boss following a dismal week.
Ten Hag’s side were sent crashing out of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night, after falling to a 3-0 home defeat to Newcastle.
Miguel Almiron and Lewis Hall gave the visitors a 2-0 first half lead, with Joe Willock sealing victory for the Magpies in the second half.
The dismal result followed Man United suffering a 3-0 loss in front of their own fans in the Manchester derby on Sunday.
Neville told Sky Sports that the situation was worrying for Ten Hag, highlighting that even the club’s recent victories had come despite poor performances.
‘At the moment it is worrying stuff for him, losing matches but the performances have been really awful,’ Neville said.
‘Even the ones they have won in the last few weeks. Nowhere near good enough.
‘You knew if half decent teams came to Old Trafford they would be back with losses again.
‘You imagine after Sunday, Ten Hag would have had a message or meeting with the players to lift them for tonight.
‘What do you say after this when you have seen it repeated, the same type of performance. Newcastle have made eight changes, what does he say to them, what is he thinking.’
The former Man United defender suggested Ten Hag might have to make a ‘stark’ change to shock a reaction from his players when they face Fulham in the Premier League on Saturday.
Man United will travel to Craven Cottage in ninth place in the Premier League, eight points adrift of the Champions League places.
‘He has to do something stark Erik ten Hag ahead the match with Fulham. He has not really tried anything like go five at the back or a different system,’ Neville said.
‘He is still persisting with four at the back and man to man marking in midfield, with one up top.
‘I wonder if he might have to depart from that to shock the players and give them something completely different.
‘Newcastle fully deserved this tonight, but for Man United in terms of team selection, style of play and how Ten Hag lifts them ahead of the weekend, I am not quite sure.
‘The Manchester Derby was bad but this has cemented what we have seen in the last few days, they are lacking in ideas.
‘Ten Hag claps the fans, but he has thinking to do that manager, some real thinking. He has to work out how he can get the best out of these players very quickly.’
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
