Gary Neville and Rio Ferdinand proved right over Erik ten Hag with Man Utd boss ‘set for sack’

Manchester United legends Gary Neville and Rio Ferdinand may have been correct in their scepticism about Erik ten Hag ahead of his potential dismissal.

Reports suggest the Red Devils are set to part ways with their manager, regardless of the result in Saturday's FA Cup final against Manchester City. Ten Hag, 54, has guided United to their lowest-ever Premier League finish of eighth place, and it is anticipated Sir Jim Ratcliffe will make a managerial change even if they upset Pep Guardiola's team at Wembley.

Both Ferdinand and Neville expressed reservations about Ten Hag's appointment in 2022 before the Dutchman took over from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, as per the Mirror. Ralf Rangnick was appointed as interim manager halfway through the 2021/22 season, and it was ex-Ajax boss Ten Hag who was ultimately chosen as the best candidate to lead the club forward.

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Despite winning the League Cup in his first season at Old Trafford, many would argue the club has actually regressed under Ten Hag's leadership. And fans have been reminded of comments made by Ferdinand just before the Dutchman's appointment was confirmed two years ago.

"Erik ten Hag is on that list, Mauricio Pochettino as well. Listen, if it is Ten Hag then we've got to support him. But it's a big decision man," said the former England defender on his Vibe with FIVE podcast. "This is the one that changes everything at the club right now. This is the one that has to be the driver to the route to success, sustained success, to get the club to challenge again.

"It's a huge decision, man. This is a massive, massive appointment because we've been in a bad situation for far too long now. It's about the culture of the club. You need someone who can put the right culture in place."

Neville, 49, was even more assertive in his stance and tweeted he "would go for Pochettino" if faced with a choice between those two options. Fast-forward two years and Pochettino - who's been sacked by Chelsea despite salvaging a sixth-place finish in the league this term - is back in the running for the United job.

Reports suggest the Argentinian is among a five-man shortlist of candidates to take over as United boss. Thomas Tuchel - who recently left Bayern Munich - is also on that list, along with Ipswich mastermind Kieran McKenna, Brentford's Thomas Frank and free agent Graham Potter.

A return to the drawing board seems inevitable for United, who need a mammoth upset in the Manchester derby to have any chance of featuring in Europe next term. Otherwise, the club's icons won't be the only ones viewing Ten Hag's tenure with an overriding sense of regret.