Nicky Butt says now is not the right time to sack Erik ten Hag, despite Manchester United’s poor start to the season.
The United boss is facing pressure after picking up just three points from the first three games of the season, having seen his side fall to a 3-0 defeat to Liverpool at Old Trafford before the international break.
Ten Hag kept his job following Ineos’ end-of-season review, but only after alternative options were scouted out. In July, Ratcliffe decided to trigger the manager’s one-year extension, keeping him contracted to United until 2026.
Butt – who featured in Saturday’s United Legends match vs Celtic – believes the club should stick by their summer decision despite the dismal opening to the campaign, arguing that there is little point in showing him the door anytime soon.
Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, he reasoned: “There’s no point sacking somebody if there’s nobody to come in. Clubs all over the world do it, I think it’s crazy.
“They sack a manager because it’s not going well and they don’t have any reasonable targets coming in, then they bring another wrong one in and it’s a knock-on effect.“For me, I’d give him time to get it right. It’s just the start of the season, we’ve only played three or four games and you’ve got to stand by him. If they don’t do that, they just should have let go of him in the post-season.”
Speaking after the defeat to Liverpool, Bruno Fernandes admitted that United, aiming for a top-four spot this season, do not have the squad capable of winning the Premier League. Few expected the club to form a title charge but many wish to see clear progress under Sir Jim Ratcliffe after his boardroom shake-up.
“It’ll take time, you can’t really judge him [Ratcliffe] right now,” added Butt, who agrees with Fernandes’ title assessment. “One thing is for certain, the team has got to improve. I think everyone would say that openly.
“They’re a long way off winning the title but what Ratcliffe has done is put experts in the right positions and hopefully you’ll see the fruition of that in the next few years.”
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