'Have to improve' - Pundit believes Erik ten Hag's Manchester United future could hinge on next two games

Alan Shearer believes Erik ten Hag’s chances of staying at Manchester United depend on how they get on in their next two fixtures. The Red Devils have lost two of their opening three Premier League games so far this season.

They won 1-0 at home to Fulham on the opening day after striker Joshua Zirkzee’s winner. However, they have lost their last two on the spin against Brighton and Hove Albion and Liverpool. United are back in action after the international break with an away trip to newly-promoted Southampton as they look to return to winning ways. They then face Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park in their next league outing after that.

Pressure is mounting on Ten Hag to start getting some results. Shearer has said: “Man United’s results will have to improve massively for Ten Hag to still be at the club at Christmas. A lot will depend on their next two results. After the defeat to Brighton and the manner of defeat to Liverpool, if the team doesn't see a massive improvement in the next game or two then it will be really, really difficult for him because the noise will only get louder.”

He added: “I was quite content and happy with what I said about Man United and Marcus Rashford before the game. I totally get Erik Ten Hag’s reaction because the question was put to him in his press conference about one of his players, and he's got no other option than  to protect his player. I totally understood that.  

“However, I would stand by everything I said, and nothing changed for me from what I saw at the weekend.  I don't see much change in Man United in their three league games so far compared to what we  saw last year, when they finished eighth. They're still wide open and still struggle in  forward positions so I stand by what I said.”

Shearer also believes Marcus Rashford should have left over the summer: “In his current form, I don’t see Marcus Rashford reviving his England career. I personally don’t know his mentality, or what his approach is in terms of training, but there's only one way back, which is to train and have the right attitude.  

“But looking from the outside, for me, he should have left Man United to reignite his career because he's gone very static for whatever reason, and it hasn't worked for him  for a while now.  Only Marcus can answer how much he wants to get back to scoring 30 goals a season.”

United finished 8th in the table in the last campaign and need to perform better in this campaign. Ten Hag was handed a new deal over the summer though.

He has won the Carabao Cup and FA Cup and the club’s hierarchy have backed him to turn things around. Their most recent defeat against Liverpool was a big worry though and their defence was breached far too easily by Arne Slot’s side.