Erik ten Hag has offered a sobering assessment of Manchester United’s situation, suggesting that even a club of their stature cannot consider itself immune to one of English football’s most damaging outcomes.
The former United manager, who was dismissed after two and a half years at Old Trafford, believes the Premier League’s competitive nature leaves little room for complacency, particularly when a team becomes trapped in a prolonged spell of poor results.
His warning comes as United, according to the latest report, find themselves hovering just above the relegation zone under Michael Carrick, a position that would have seemed unthinkable for one of England’s most decorated clubs.
Speaking to ESPN, Ten Hag did not dismiss the possibility of the 13-time Premier League champions dropping into the Championship.
“In the Premier League it’s certainly possible, because all the teams are simply strong,” he said.
The Dutchman, now 56, explained that the quality of opposition across the division means even established clubs can quickly find themselves in trouble when results begin to turn against them.
“They’re all strong squads, all good managers. And if you end up on the wrong side once and you really get into that vicious circle – yes, then it can become very, very difficult.”
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Manchester United have not suffered relegation from the English top flight since 1974. Although there is still a considerable portion of the 2026/27 campaign to play, Ten Hag’s comments underline the danger of allowing a difficult run to develop into something more serious.
But his assessment of United’s present predicament was only part of the conversation. The former manager also used the opportunity to revisit his own time at the club, insisting that his achievements deserved greater recognition.
“I think we performed pretty well with United,” he said.
“I think we had performed more than pretty well. We couldn’t have done it better.”
Ten Hag’s record at Old Trafford included two domestic trophies, an FA Cup and an EFL Cup, as well as a third-place finish in the Premier League. He also pointed to the club’s return to Wembley on six occasions during his tenure, including two FA Cup final appearances.
“Before we arrived, six years without winning a trophy. Look where they are now. We were at Wembley six times, we played two FA Cup finals.
“We won two trophies, we finished third. And yes, we simply performed pretty well. And at times we also played pretty good football.
“We also had a difficult spell… But the Premier League is so strong and when you hit a difficult spell, yes, then you really have a problem.”
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Ten Hag’s spell at United was far from straightforward. Despite the silverware, inconsistent league performances and a difficult final period ultimately brought his time in charge to an end.
His latest comments therefore carry two messages: a warning about the unforgiving nature of the Premier League and a defence of what he believes United achieved during his time in charge.
