'I worked with Erik ten Hag at Man Utd - only one manager is worth sacking him for'
Erik ten Hag's Manchester United future has once again come under scrutiny but former assistant Benni McCarthy does not believe Old Trafford bosses have many better options to turn things around
by Scott Trotter · The MirrorBenni McCarthy believes Manchester United should only replace Erik ten Hag if they can lure Pep Guardiola from rivals Manchester City.
Ten Hag's former assistant departed United in the summer, as a number of changes were made behind the scenes at Old Trafford. McCarthy was part of the backroom staff from July 2022 until the end of last season, with Ruud van Nistelrooy and Rene Hake joining the club in his stead.
The former Blackburn Rovers and Porto star helped United to Carabao Cup and FA Cup glory but endured a more difficult time in the Premier League last term where Ten Hag came close to losing his job. With pressure once again mounting on the Dutchman, McCarthy defended his qualities.
The ex-South Africa international, speaking on SuperSport, named Guardiola as the only coach who could supercede Ten Hag. No other came to mind for the 2004 Champions League winner.
"Who else is better than Ten Hag?" McCarthy said. "You’re not gonna get many managers unless Pep decides to change from Man City to United, then maybe you might have a change in fortunes, but other than that, I can’t see who’s better than Ten Hag."
Earlier this month, McCarthy suggested his former colleague lacked the fire to compel his team. Though at that time, reserved praise for Ten Hag's tactical nous.
"In modern football, I believe that players want to see a bit more passion in their coach," he said. "They need to feel that the coach is with them and willing to fight alongside them.
"Tactically, I feel that Erik is at the top. He lacks a bit of that fire, that passion. That’s where we differ, him and I."
The former Red Devils coach was critical of how some of United's players trained during his time with the club however. The 46-year-old believes the squad needs to follow the examples of Portugal stars Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot.
"If some of the Manchester United players had what Bruno (Fernandes) and Diogo (Dalot) have, it would have been easier to achieve good results," McCarthy said. "They both trained with incredible concentration, giving everything they had. Some of the others didn’t do the same.
"This ended up limiting United’s progress, because some players weren’t training to the best of their ability. Even in games, the data showed us that some players were at their peak performance and others a little below."
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