“They failed to listen to Sir Alex Ferguson and that’s why they’re suffering…They might be relagated soon”: Man United told they must appoints the Manager recommended by Sir Alex Ferguson if they really want to progress

For some time now, Mikel Arteta’s delayed success at Arsenal has offered a convenient defense for managers under pressure. Many would argue that, given enough time and resources, they too could transform a club’s fortunes, just as Arteta did at Arsenal.

There are undeniable parallels between the situation Arteta stepped into at Arsenal and what Erik ten Hag is dealing with at Manchester United. Both clubs are historic giants that had fallen into mediocrity, struggling with poor recruitment choices, overpaid yet underperforming players, and owners who seemed clueless about making sound footballing decisions.

When Arteta first took the helm at Arsenal, his initial full season ended with the team finishing eighth. In the following season, Arsenal improved slightly to finish fifth. By 2022—two and a half years into his tenure—Arteta had Arsenal competing head-to-head with Manchester City for the Premier League title.

The question now is whether Ten Hag can replicate that kind of transformation at Manchester United, after his own underwhelming eighth-place finish. With back-to-back defeats against Brighton and Liverpool, the criticism surrounding Ten Hag is growing louder, and he faces increasing pressure to prove his worth.

The doubts surrounding Erik ten Hag’s capabilities are not limited to outside observers. According to *The Guardian*, there are reportedly serious concerns about his tactics within Manchester United’s new football structure under the ownership of Ineos. While Ten Hag, formerly of Ajax, may have won more trophies in two years than Arteta has in almost five, Arsenal’s upward trajectory continues unabated, while the gap between the two clubs has only widened during Ten Hag’s reign.

Stan Collymore, a former England international, voiced his concerns bluntly in his *Caught Offside* column. “I don’t care what anyone says, Ten Hag is completely out of his depth,” Collymore wrote. He speculates that Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Ineos group, who recently took ownership stakes in Manchester United, may have allowed Ten Hag to remain in charge because they looked at Arsenal’s patient approach with Arteta and believed that a similar process might work for United. However, Collymore insists, “Ten Hag is not Arteta.”

Collymore points out that while Arteta has only one FA Cup to his name, Arsenal’s progress under his leadership has been clear and steady. Season by season, Arsenal has grown stronger, and perhaps more importantly, they have rediscovered their identity. Arteta’s Arsenal plays an exciting, fast-paced, and free-flowing style of football that evokes memories of the club’s glory days.

Manchester United, historically, was also known for a thrilling brand of football—marked by electrifying, high-intensity play, and devastating counterattacks that tore through opposition defenses. However, Collymore argues that under Ten Hag, United is nowhere near rediscovering that identity. “At best, they are too passive, and at worst, they’re boring,” he asserts. Collymore concludes with a damning verdict: “He has got to go.”

In essence, while Arteta has managed to steer Arsenal toward constant improvement, Ten Hag is struggling to find similar success at Manchester United. The parallels between their situations are clear, but whether Ten Hag can follow in Arteta’s footsteps remains highly uncertain.