Gary Neville delivers Erik ten Hag warning as he makes prediction about Man Utd manager’s future

Gary Neville has warned Erik ten Hag that Ineos will make a decision about his future before the end of the season, but predicted the Manchester United manager won’t be sacked before May.

Ten Hag suffered his 14th loss of 2023/24 on Saturday as United were beaten 2-1 by Nottingham Forest to end 2023 in dismal fashion. That’s the highest number of defeats at the turn of year in a season since 1930/31, when the club finished bottom. It’s also the first time United have lost nine of the opening 20 league matches since the 1989/90 campaign.

With Ineos and Sir Jim Ratcliffe set to take over football operations once the minority investment is officially rubber stamped, there is little indication that Ten Hag will be sacked soon, but Neville has warned that the writing is on the wall if United don’t drastically improve soon.

“They [Ineos] will make a decision on the manager before the end of the season, I have no doubt, even though they will keep him in charge until the end of the season,” the former defender said on Sky Sports. “They have been so poor though and if that continues, Erik ten Hag will find himself under real pressure.

"Ten Hag did a very good job in his first season, now the new ownership will be on a watching brief and [Sir Dave] Brailsford will look at what this club is and he is not going to like what he sees.

"I have more optimism under the new owners. They are currently operating without a sporting director, without a CEO and without a head of recruitment. What club in the world does that?

"Ten Hag is operating without a management team around him, which is incredible to think. He has been handed the keys to the safe and that shouldn't happen."