Erik ten Hag is not to blame for Manchester United’s struggles and even Pep Guardiola would struggle at Old Trafford, says ex-Liverpool man Steve Nicol.
Ten Hag took charge of United this summer but his first Premier League match ended in disaster, with the Red Devils beaten by Brighton at Old Trafford.
The Dutchman had been expected to make a big impact at United following a disappointing 2021-22 campaign under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick, as the side fell to a sixth-place finish and once again failed to land any silverware.
But former Liverpool right-back Nicol feels no-one can point the finger at Ten Hag, and even Guardiola would struggle at the club if he switched across from Manchester City.
Guardiola took over as City boss in 2016 and has led the team to four Premier League titles, four League Cup wins and lifted the FA Cup in 2018-19.
‘This Manchester United team, this squad of players, absolutely confirms that it doesn’t matter how good the coach is,’ Nicol told ESPN FC.
‘If you have players who are not capable of playing at a level where the club should be, it’s not going to happen.
‘You can stay from 9am to 9pm on the training field, but if they players are not good enough, if they can’t take it in and can’t deliver it, you have to get players out the door and bring in players who can do it.
‘Whoever has been bringing these players through the door, they don’t know what they are doing.
‘You can go and switch Erik ten Hag to Manchester City and bring over Pep Guardiola to Manchester United, they would still be getting beat.’
Meanwhile, former United defender Rio Ferdinand feels there is only one player at the club who would make it into City’s team.
Ferdinand believes centre-back Raphael Varane is the only player who could arrive at the Etihad and force his way into Guardiola’s XI.
United look to bounce back when they travel to face Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday.
MORE : Manchester United offered chance to sign ex-Chelsea striker Alvaro Morata
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