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Manchester United’s humbling defeat at the hands of old rivals Liverpool on Sunday has heaped huge pressure on Erik ten Hag at the start of the new season.
The Dutchman survived the chop in the summer after securing the FA Cup but it may prove to be just a stay of execution after two losses from the first three games of the campaign.
Rumours are already circulating once more on who could replace Ten Hag, should INEOS make a change, with recently departed England manager Gareth Southgate’s name in the hat.
But speaking in a recent interview, former United player Lee Sharpe has dismissed the idea of Southgate to United despite the heavy links.
When asked if he would welcome the 54-year-old to the Old Trafford dugout Sharpe replied “No! Not at all!”
Sharpe expanded on his thoughts, stating that he doesn’t believe Southgate’s record at either club level or with England is enough to suggest he should be the man to take over from Ten Hag.
“I don’t think at club level he’s done enough. Even with the best players that we (England) have had for generations, he didn’t do enough in big competitions.
“There’s nothing there to say that his team excites like the Old Trafford fans would demand. So no, he’s not a Manchester United manager in my book,” said Sharpe.
The former Red also questioned Southgate’s decision-making in games claiming his “substitutions and formations in big games hasn’t really set the world alight”.
Sharpe played against Southgate in the Premier League during the 1990’s and did admit he could see the former Palace and Aston Villa man player stepping into a managerial role after his playing days.
“I could see that he was a student of the game and would go into management. I’ve met him once or twice and he’s a lovely fella who knows his football. He’s one of these people who eats, breathes and sleeps football – I can see why he’s a manager,” he added.
Sharpe concluded by saying the “half-decent” job Southgate did should have ended with him “getting over the line” to prove himself and does feel he could be a choice for another club, just not United.
Ten Hag now has couple of weeks to mull over the sobering start to the campaign before United return to Premier League action after the international break.
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