Peter Schmeichel lambasts Ineos’ treatment of Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag | OneFootball

Manchester United legend Peter Schmeichel has spoken out against Ineos’ handling of the decision to keep Erik ten Hag as manager.

After a poor league season, it had been reported on the eve of the FA Cup final that Ten Hag would be sacked regardless of the result.

Against all odds however, the Old Trafford side put in an inspired performance to win the cup for a 13th time in their illustrious history.

After two and a half weeks of much speculation, it was finally announced in June that the Dutchman would be staying on as manager and would enter negotiations with the club over a new contract.

Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville has already stated that Sir Jim Ratcliffe and company were well within their rights to take their time to deliberate the Dutchman future’s so publicly, but another United treble winner disagrees.

Speaking to talkSPORT (via tipsbladet) Schmeichel claimed that it wasn’t a shocking decision for Ten Hag to stay on despite an eighth place Premier League finish.

“I’m not surprised, as such. I’m surprised at how long it took to come to that conclusion. I feel a bit sorry for Erik that he had to go through all that, just after winning the FA Cup.”

The Dane criticised the club’s way of handling the process so publicly and the amount of time they took to take a concrete decision.

“He had to wait three weeks, when he knew the club was talking to others. It was not right, I think. But that’s how they chose to do it. So he stays and there is a project that he has been quite clear about that he wants to continue.”

“He thinks that they are heading in the right direction, where injuries have hindered him a bit. But I just don’t feel like it was the right way to do it.”

The legendary goalkeeper believes that Ineos’ method is bound to have negatively affected Ten Hag’s authority within the playing squad.

“If I was a player in that squad, I would feel that my coach had been undermined. Will I have the same respect for him? Do I think he only has his job until the coach they really want comes along?”

“I don’t think that Manchester United currently needs all that uncertainty. I have to be honest, I really, really feel sorry for him. I don’t think it was the right way to do it.”

Ineos and Ten Hag will certainly have plenty of questions to answer as they go about trying to improve the squad in the transfer window and transform the current side into one that can qualify for the Champions League next season.

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