Ten Hag sack at Man Utd must come ‘now’ after Richard Keys claims club are ‘a laughing stock’

Manchester United chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe has been challenged to ‘show some balls’ and sack Erik ten Hag now, with the Dutchman living in a “parallel universe” to everyone else and having made the club an absolute “laughing stock”.

That’s the view of former Sky Sports anchor Richard Keys, who has been shocked and stunned by the way one of the world’s biggest clubs in Manchester United have allowed themselves to settle for mediocrity and how he fears that results like Sunday’s 3-0 thumping at the hands of Liverpool has been allowed to happen time and again with anything major changing.

Indeed, the Dutchman was seemingly on the verge of the sack towards the back end of last season when a dreadful campaign had seen the club humiliated in the Champions League, before an equally inept Premier League campaign had seen them lose a record 14 times before eventually finishing in the all-time lowly position of eighth.

However, with the axe threatening to come down, Ten Hag earned himself a surprise stay of execution after United recorded a surprise 2-1 victory over Manchester City to win the FA Cup and secure the second piece of silverware of the Dutchman’s era.

Despite the club’s very obvious struggles and shortcomings, Ten Hag’s record in charge of the club is not all that grim and especially when compared to the first two years at the helm for Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool and Mikel Arteta at Arsenal.

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And while Ratcliffe took his sweet time to stand by Ten Hag, having held talks with a couple of prospective replacements in both Mauricio Pochettino and Thomas Tuchel, United decided to hand the Dutchman an extension to his exisiting arrangement.

Ten Hag sack: Richard Keys call for Man Utd axe to fall

That renewal saw the 54-year-old’s deal at Old Trafford extended by a further year, keeping him at the helm until summer 2026.

However, while they managed to squeek a win in their Premier League opener at home to Fulham, subsequent losses away at Brighton and  – all too easily – a 3-0 home trouncing by arch-rivals Liverpool – has very firmly turned the heat back on the Dutchman.

Question marks over his tactics continue to cause a divide, though one observer in the Dutch media claimed on Monday that the sack at Old Trafford was very much looming.

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Now former Sky Sports anchorman Keys has turned up the heat on United to take action in the wake of Sunday’s loss, explaining on his blog why standards have now slipped too far.

“Here’s the good news for United fans. And I’m quoting the manager ‘You can see the xG we didn’t concede as many goals. I don’t think we are in the same pattern’. Nope. Nor me. I’ve no idea. But I guess it means something to somebody and it might just be encouraging if it does.

“Anyway. The interview went on like this ‘we stick together. And on the second-half we show some resilience’. What? Your team was hopeless in both halves.

“How many times have I said he lives in a parallel universe? It’s embarrassing. Remember – this is Manchester Uniiiited.

“I’d sack him now. No. I’d have sacked him in the summer. Maybe even before that. He’s not the right man to manage United. He’s reducing them to a laughing stock.

“‘I’m not Harry Potter’, he went on to tell reporters. He’s right. I’d say more Graham Potter!”

Keys questions if Ratcliffe is brave enough to sack Dutchman

Turning his attention to that performance on Sunday, Keys added: “Everything I’ve argued came home to roost Sunday. United were awful. Simply awful – on the back of ten Hag’s Benitez moment when he claimed he’d had more success than Jurgen Klopp in the last two years. Fact. Let’s throw a McEnroe in while we’re at it ‘you can not be serious’. What was he thinking when he tried to taunt Liverpool like that?

“If there had been any United fans left inside Old Trafford on the final whistle surely they’d have let ten Hag know how they were feeling? All you could hear were Liverpool supporters, who‘d enjoyed watching their team ram those daft words back down ten Hag’s throat.

“I wonder if the clever people running United have got the balls to sack him during this break? Why not?

“I also wonder how many Utd fans are now wishing the Qatari bid had prevailed? They would’ve swept away the whole stagnant sorry mess that Utd have become – invested millions on and off the field and put the club back in the big time.

“I don’t want to spend any more time on this subject – except to say our game needs a strong Utd. I don’t take pleasure now – nor have I ever – in their decline.”

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Keys added: “I thought Liverpool were good. No more. But they didn’t have to be. They swept United away without getting out of second gear. I’m hoping my reservations about Arne Slot were wrong. In fairness, he’s made a great start and what players are saying leads me to believe they’re enjoying working with him.

“Anyone would think he’d got a magic wand. Ah – Harry Potter maybe? It’s taken him no time to get the Anfield machine running smoothly, proving it can be done. They’re second after three wins and they haven’t conceded yet.

“Doubtless ten Hag will point out that Utd were top for 17 hours earlier in the season?”