Erik ten Hag replacements concerned by ex-Manchester United players constantly criticising club in media

Erik ten Hag is clinging to his job (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

At least two potential candidates to replace Erik ten Hag have raised concerns over the amount of criticism that the club takes from ex-Manchester United players working in the media.

Ten Hag is clinging to his job following the club’s 4-0 defeat to Crystal Palace on Monday night.

It was the lowest point in a season of lows for the Dutchman, who has effectively been on trial to keep his job since Sir Jim Ratcliffe acquired a 27.7% stake in the club in January.

Jason Wilcox, appointed as Technical Director from Southampton, will make a decision on Ten Hag’s future along with incoming CEO Omar Berrada.

But a decision over Ten Hag’s future is just one part of the puzzle, as replacing him could be very difficult.

Not only is there a scarcity of top managers available, but the Telegraph say at least two potential candidates have raised reservations about working with the club while so many former players work in the media.

Ferdinand with Ten Hag and Scholes. (Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)

The likes of Rio Ferdinand, Gary Neville, Michael Owen, Paul Scholes and Roy Keane all have regular punditry jobs, as well as weekly podcast duties.

United’s failure to succeed since Sir Alex Ferguson stood down is raised on a weekly basis, with his former players constantly talking about life under the Scot compared to today’s team.

On Monday night, Scholes and Owen both questioned the role of Steve McClaren as Ten Hag’s assistant.

Owen also said Ten Hag should be sacked, and that the club will get annihilated by Manchester City in the FA Cup final.

While it’s not seen as a deal-breaker, the fact that candidates have noticed the criticism will be a concern for Ratcliffe and his INEOS partners.

Graham Potter, Thomas Tuchel, Ruben Amorim and Gareth Southgate have all been linked with the job.

However, United will not make a decision on Ten Hag until after the FA Cup final.

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.