I told Erik ten Hag to quit Man United - he has ignored me and I fear for his future

A lifelong friend of Erik ten Hag has revealed he urged the 54-year-old to leave Manchester United after winning the FA Cup in May, and fears what impact the subsequent months have had on him.

United have won just three of their nine matches so far this season and risk going into the international break on a five-game winless run should they fail to defeat Aston Villa on Sunday. As a consequence of the recent poor results, questions hang over Ten Hag’s future at the club.

The morbid start to the campaign follows United’s record lowest Premier League finish of eighth last term. And the club have claimed just two wins from their first six league games of the new season, despite splashing more than £200m on summer transfers.

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When asked about whether he still has faith in Ten Hag, co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe said on Friday: ”I think he’s a very good coach but at the end of the day it’s not my call, it’s the management team that’s running Manchester United that have to decide how we best run the team in many different respects.”

The Ineos billionaire urged the new board to “take stock and make some sensible decisions”, following the failed summer pursuit for a successor and subsequent contract extension for Ten Hag.

The Dutch manager says he is not worried about being sacked and has repeatedly underlined his silverware record of claiming two trophies in as many seasons at the club. However, friend Leon Ten Voorde believes he shouldn't still be at United.

“I advised him to leave last summer,” he told the De Ballen Verstand podcast. “He won the FA Cup, so you leave through the front door. He's had a lot of injuries this past year. But then trainers think: 'I can turn things around'.”

Ten Voorde, who has known Ten Hag for more than four decades and even shared altar boy roles as youngsters in the Netherlands, is concerned about the current trajectory of United’s form and wonders how well his friend is coping.

He added: “How long does United think this can go on? That question is now hanging over United and Ten Hag again. In general, he is calm and relaxed. But I can't imagine that this leaves you completely unaffected.”

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