Erik ten Hag is sinking at Manchester United, but any replacement is set to fail

The main contenders to take over the Ten Hag – Tuchel, Gareth Southgate, Graham Potter, Roberto de Zerbi, Ruben Amorim – come with enviable pedigree. But all could be forgiven for asking if they are prepared to fail. It’s not just that United, who have sunk so far, are amassing Mariana-like depths with a record 13 league defeats in a single campaign. It’s the fact that so many retired players, from Sky’s Neville and Roy Keane to Premier League Productions’ Owen and Scholes, are using their TV boxes to stir the pot and accentuate the decline.

Nothing expressed United’s struggle to escape the shadow of past glories like Solskjaer’s admission in 2019 that he refused to use Ferguson’s car park at Carrington. It gave the impression that the long-retired Ferguson continued to be judge and jury for whoever was appointed after him. It’s a similar environment for players. Whenever they underperform, they know they will be subject to brutal character assessments from Keane, who was so outraged by the FA Cup semi-final against Coventry – a game United won – that he said he was not like your own team.

Broadcast commentary is dominated by United alumni. If it’s not Owen calling for Ten Hag’s premature exit, Neville claims the manager’s behavior at the press conference makes his heart sink. And if it’s not Keane savaged by United’s defensive shortcomings, Rio Ferdinand says on social media that he’s watching them from behind the sofa.

All might be justified in their complaints, but the barbs threaten to create a toxic atmosphere for any potential manager. Any mistake will be met with a grave shake of the head and those deadly words: “This is Manchester United.”

But if the club are to learn anything from their recent horrendous failures, they will realize that this very feeling is part of the problem. For the bitter truth is that United can no longer trade in their name alone.