Manchester United are taking a big risk going for Erik ten Hag and it could spell disaster for their Champions League hopes.
That's the view of former Arsenal and England great Paul Merson, who is not sold on the idea of the Ajax boss taking over at Old Trafford. Ten Hag is the man United want to transform their fortunes and a deal has been agreed to bring him in next season with Ralf Rangnick moving into an advisory role.
But Merson fears the Dutchman is the wrong man for the club because he lacks Premier League experience and coaches in a weak league. And he reckons the news that he is coming in could actually have a negative effect on the players as they gear up to face relegation-threatened Everton.
Writing in his Daily Star column, Merson spelled out how he feels United are making a big mistake as they battle to get back into the top four. He wrote: " Manchester United are taking a big risk appointing Erik ten Hag - and I think they will lose to Everton this weekend. I watch Everton and every now and then they play alright. They just haven't got 90 minutes in them. They play great for 20 minutes then they drift in and out of the game.
"But I think they beat Manchester United. I do. The fans know this is a cup final, and I think if the players turn up in this game and have a right go and play at a good tempo, they win. They've got to cut out the mistakes. But I've got a feeling they can win this game. I saw them against Crystal Palace and for 20 minutes they impressed me. They were outstanding at the start of that game, but didn't score and ended up losing 4-0. I just think the fans at Goodison make a difference there.
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"Richarlison scored twice against Burnley and he was getting in good positions and causing problems. United are all over the place. The players know now that their manager isn't going to be in charge next season. Will they fancy it? But Ten Hag isn't the answer for me. He is coming from a club that's in a two-team league where you dominate every match. He doesn't know this league. I think it's a gamble.
"You can't win anything without a good manager and I'm not sure how good a manager Ten Hag is. Even Mauricio Pochettino knows the Premier League and has had success here. Ten Hag is an unknown quantity when it comes to the Premier League." Merson has previously urged United to go for a British coach like Graham Potter of Brendan Rodgers. But it looks like Ten Hag is the man with United are reportedly close to finalising his appointment after talks over his compensation package went well.
Interim boss Rangnick declined to comment on the situation, saying: " I don't intend to speak about any possible new managers. From what I know, all the managers the club has so far spoken to are top managers, top coaches. If this includes Erik ten Hag, it is also true with him. That is all I can say at this stage."
