I fought to keep Sir Alex Ferguson as I knew he’d deliver… but Erik ten Hag is just NOT good enough for Man Utd

A MAN who fought tooth and nail to keep Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United in 1990 is adamant that Erik ten Hag is just not good enough for the club.

When it comes to characters in the beautiful game, you would struggle to find one as charismatic and even as visionary as Michael Knighton.

The 72-year-old is a successful artist these days but he showed his physical footballing talents with his infamous ball-juggling on the pitch at Old Trafford in August 1989 as he looked set to buy United.

Unfortunately, his daring £10m takeover collapsed after backers pulled out but instead he made part of the club’s board.

He stayed there for several years, providing a blueprint to help transform the club from a loss-making enterprise into one of, if not the, biggest club on the planet.

Knighton, who has previously gone on record to explain how he fought to try and save Fergie around the period when United were close to sacking the Scot in 1990, would go on to achieve his dream of owning a football club later in the 1990s.

He bought lower league Carlisle United, who reached Wembley twice under his stewardship.

But his beloved United were not far from his thoughts – especially the future of their current manager – as he spoke to Sun Sport at this week’s launch of the Pakistan Football League.

Dutchman Ten Hag lifted the League Cup in his first season in charge and followed that up with FA Cup glory last month but led United to their worst-ever Premier League finish.

Red Devils chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe has still not confirmed whether or not he is staying as manager as speculation that he will be sacked continues.

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But Knighton has no doubts about what needs to be done as he told Sun Sport: “Erik ten Hag is in a very difficult position. He was incredibly lucky to win the FA Cup. 

“Not in the final, but Coventry City were the better team in the semi- to come back from 3-0 down and then they scored a brilliant goal in the last-minute of extra time which was not given by VAR due to a big toe.

“They were much the better team – no question – they should have been in the final.

“He’s very lucky. He’s not right for Manchester United. I don’t mean any disrespect to the man, but he’s not right for Manchester United. My prediction is that he will go.”

But one man Knighton has every confidence in his Ratcliffe.

He said: “He is the right man. 100 per cent he is the right man.

“I have never criticised an owner until the European Super League. Being one myself at Carlisle United, that wonderful little club, I’ve never criticised owners on principle as I know how difficult it is.

“But the European Super League was the final straw for me regarding Manchester United.

“I was asked to go public and I did, I flushed Jim Ratcliffe out and said: ‘I don’t have the money, I can’t afford what the Glazers want but you have.’

“I did an interview and the very next day he came out and declared he was here and wanted to buy Manchester United.”

Knighton’s love for the beautiful game and knowledge on how to market it is now being sought nearly 4,000 miles.

This week he was part of an international delegation that included officials from clubs across the globe for the official launch of the PFL, which was led by England legend Michael Owen.

The PFL is an eight-team league that will take place in November this year and is the first-ever franchise-based competition in the South Asian nation.

It is being organised by the PFL UK Holdings, led by its chairman Farhan Junejo and president and CEO Ahmer Kunwar, and they were both keen to listen and learn from one of the most notable football entrepreneurs of his generation while he was in Pakistan.

On why he had travelled across the world to be there, he explained: “I met Ahmer through a mutual friend and we talked on the telephone and he came straight up to my art studio from London.

“We just talked and talked and he told me about the plans and he just said: ‘Michael, I’d love you to come and be involved.’ It was as simple as that.

“As everyone knows, I’m passionate about football and always have been, and I was so impressed with his vision.

“It was so similar to mine 35-odd years ago for Manchester United. People forget that Manchester United never made any money, they had just announced losses of £1.3m.

“I remember the guys in your profession at my very press conference, when I called Manchester United a brand and said that it was a product worldwide, I was slaughtered.

‘Who is this guy, he’s called Manchester United a brand, he’s called them a product.’ 

“I told them that the game was about to change for all-time and to read my blueprint, which is what I gave to Manchester United.

“In it it said that the TV rights were worth half a billion, not £3m. 

“Dear old Robert Maxwell, who owned the Daily Mirror, called me Walter Mitty, an idiot and a lot more unpleasant things.

“Fortunately, everybody understands now that this is the greatest sport in the world, they are all brands and it is common terminology now.

“And my job was to make Manchester United the greatest brand in the world and it still is the greatest brand.

“Munich, George Best, Denis Law, Bobby Charlton, Sir Matt Busby were all ingredients – what it didn’t have were all the things in my blueprint.

“I said we need to have our own TV channel, travel agency, credit card, they thought I was an idiot but I told them to trust me and that it would happen.

“It’s not a millionaires game, I was modest wealthy guy, it’s a billionaire game. They all thought I was being ridiculous.”

Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk