David Moyes sends clear message to Man Utd bosses over Erik ten Hag | Football
David Moyes has praised Erik ten Hag for the ‘resilience’ he has shown at Manchester United and insists the under-fire Dutchman is doing a ‘brilliant job’.
United are languishing down in 14th place after their worst ever start to a Premier League season and there is mounting speculation that Ten Hag could be set for the exit door at Old Trafford.
Ten Hag appeared on the brink of being sacked last term, only for the 54-year-old to earn himself a new contract by masterminding an unlikely FA Cup final victory over Manchester City in May.
However, it was an open secret that INEOS had been speaking with several managerial candidates before deciding to keep faith with Ten Hag, with the likes of Gareth Southgate, Graham Potter, Kieran McKenna and Massimiliano Allegri all linked.
Reports this week indicate that former Chelsea and Bayern Munich head coach Thomas Tuchel has emerged as the frontrunner to succeed Ten Hag and the German is said to be ‘open’ to the idea of taking charge.
Ex-United boss Moyes knows all too well the pressures of the hot seat at the Theatre of Dreams, with the Scot dismissed just ten months into his tenure after taking over the reins from Sir Alex Ferguson.
And it appears Moyes has enormous empathy for the treatment Ten Hag is currently receiving, telling BBC Sport: ‘I think he’s doing a brilliant job.
‘I think he’s shown brilliant resilience in the situation that he’s in and I think he should be credited for how well he’s conducted himself.’
Ten Hag’s United are languishing down in 14th spot after a dismal start to the campaign (Picture: Getty)
According to Moyes, Ten Hag deserves ‘great credit’ for continuing to front up and face the media when under ‘immense pressure’ from seemingly every direction.
‘As far as I know, I don’t see him ducking any questions or any media interviews that you people [the media] put forward to him,’ he added.
‘I think you have to give him great credit for that but it’s a job that is going to attract immense pressure, people talking, so I have to say that I think he’s doing a brilliant job.’
In the aftermath of Sunday’s goalless draw with Aston Villa, Ten Hag insisted he still had the support of United’s hierarchy.
Asked whether Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his advisors still backed him, Ten Hag replied: ‘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.
‘But we always talk every week. I would say we talk every day so I expect I will speak to them.’