Gary Neville has claimed that INEOS don’t want to sack Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag.
Ten Hag’s future has been the subject of much discussion, with United in 14th place after enduring their worst ever start to a Premier League season.
After losing 3-0 to Tottenham followed by a chaotic 3-3 draw against Porto in the Europa League, the goalless draw away to Aston Villa on Sunday could be seen as a small step in the right direction for ten Hag.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe was in attendance at Villa Park along with INEOS director of sport Sir Dave Brailsford, United’s chief executive Omar Berrada and sporting director Dan Ashworth.
Former United defender Neville named the timeframe that he feels INEOS require in order to improve matters.
Gary Neville has claimed that INEOS do not want to sack Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag
Ten Hag’s side, who drew 0-0 with Aston Villa, have endured a frustrating start to the season
Sir Jim Ratcliffe (L) and Sir Dave Brailsford watched United’s draw at Villa Park on Sunday
Neville added that he feels it is unlikely that INEOS will want to sack ten Hag this season, especially after deciding to keep him in the summer.
He stated that he feels INEOS need around two or three years to improve United’s situation.
Neville told Sky Sports: ‘They definitely won’t want to do anything this season. No club wants to sack a manager during the middle of the season. It’s not just a reflection on the manager, it’s a reflection upon them.
‘Even though INEOS have come into the club in the last few months in terms of taking control of the football side – and Dan Ashworth and Omar Berrada have only been in for a couple of months – you can’t really land the blame at their door. They’re going to need two or three years to sort this out.
‘But the club did make the decision to keep Ten Hag in the summer, so they won’t want to reverse that decision within the first six or seven games. They have just got to hope [something happens] in this next couple of weeks – through maybe a reset, some thinking time, some planning.’
However, Neville suggested that ten Hag needs to oversee an improvement in results ahead of the November international break.
He said: ‘Manchester United fans, coaches, players have talked about this new structure that surrounds Ten Hag, it needs to go to work quite quickly in the next few weeks.
‘If the next international break comes around and Manchester United are still in that 13th, 14th position in the league, I think there’s going to be a lot of pressure.
Neville stated that ten Hag needs to improve results before the November international break
‘The next few weeks are critical in making sure they can somehow get some momentum for the rest of the season so that Ten Hag can keep his job.
‘Because no United fan wants to see Ten Hag lose his job either, that would just feel like we’re on a roundabout, just spinning the same way we have for the last 10 to 12 years.’
Speaking after the game against Villa, ten Hag insisted that he retains the support of Ratcliffe.
Ten Hag said: ‘I don’t have any idea that’s different because [otherwise] they should have told me. We communicate very openly. It’s very transparent.
‘We are all on board together, on one page. We know what we are working through is a long-term process. I speak continually with them. After the game I have to do my job – talking to the players, managing the players and answering questions from the media.’