Man Utd Legend Defends Ten Hag Amid Poor Start To The Season 

Following a poor start to the season under Erik ten Hag, Wayne Rooney has criticised Manchester United’s “underperforming” players.

After their season got off to a disastrous start, the Dutchman has been under a lot of heat at Old Trafford this season. Following a half-dozen league losses, the Red Devils are currently ranked ninth in the Premier League rankings. They were also eliminated from the Carabao Cup and are currently third in their Champions League group, behind Galatasaray and Bayern Munich. Wayne Rooney, the all-time leading scorer for Manchester United, said he felt bad for Ten Hag when questioned about his feelings. He acknowledged that working under pressure is a part of the job, but he also said he had every right to expect more from his squad.

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“That’s the job. That’s part of the job and we all know that when we take jobs, whatever job that is,” he told reporters. “I know coming here [Birmingham], there’s a lot of pressure and I’m sure Ten Hag knows that at Manchester United. I think it’s not going as well as they would liked or would have hoped but I think the players need to take some responsibility as well. I know some of the players in there and they’re not performing to the levels I know they can.”

“Ultimately, it starts and ends with the manager and that’s part of being a manager. He will get the critics, of course, after the last few weeks but I think the players can do a lot more than what they’re doing for him.”

There is speculation that the Dutchman may lose his job if the results don’t improve. It’s estimated that firing Ten Hag and his staff would cost about £15m ($18m), with the Dutchman himself earning about £9m ($10m) annually. Ten Hag made it to the FA Cup final, won the Carabao Cup and finished in the top four during his first season, but he has been unable to capitalise on that success so far this year.

Manchester United will try to get back on track when they play Fulham in the Premier League next.