JASON MCATEER believes he knows who the next Manchester United manager will be.
The former Liverpool star, 52, appeared on beIN SPORTS as a pundit during the Red Devils’ 1-0 defeat to Arsenal.
Erik ten Hag, 54, is under mounting pressure at Old Trafford.
His side sit eighth in the Premier League, and will set their worst ever points tally in the competition if they lose at least one of their remaining matches.
Ten Hag has been bullish over the prospects of his new Ineos bosses keeping him in charge, pointing to the number of injuries he has had to contend with.
But after chatting with a Man Utd first team star, McAteer is not so sure.
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Appearing on TV yesterday, the former Ireland international said of a Red Devils star: “He plays for Man United and I had a conversation with him on Friday, I bumped into him because I live just outside the area.
“We got into conversation, great lad, and I asked him (about the) end of the season and what he thought and he gave me no inclination that the manager was there to stay.
“In fact we spoke about different names and who we thought will be a good fit and I got no inclination from him.”
Quizzed if Thomas Tuchel’s name came up, McAteer added that the player “smiled” – but that “wasn’t the name”.
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He then said “no” when asked if Jose Mourinho had been brought up.
When England boss Gareth Southgate was mentioned, McAteer said: “Yes that was the name.
“Footballers have an inclination when the manager’s job is on the line and they obviously know and I just got the feeling that it’s done, it’s done.”
Southgate, 53, is under contract with the FA until December.
He has been linked with the Man Utd job, but in an interview with ITV News over the weekend sought to distance himself… for now.
He said: “I’ve got one thing to focus on.
“That’s having as successful a tournament with England as possible. Everything else outside of that is a complete irrelevance to me.”
Ten Hag, meanwhile, had it put to him on Friday that his compatriot Louis van Gaal was sacked after winning the FA Cup in 2016.
Asked if he fears the same could happen to him, he said: “No, I think they (Ineos) have common sense.
“They seen when you have 32 different back lines, when you lose eight centre backs, when we see we don’t have a left full-back, they know that will have a negative impact on results.
“But we are still fighting and it’s a huge FA Cup final. We are still there, it can be a highlight of the season but we know why we are under-performing.”
The Red Devils return to action on Wednesday night, when they host Newcastle in their final home match of the season.
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They will then conclude their Premier League campaign with a trip to Brighton on Sunday.
Ten Hag’s men will make the trip south to Wembley for the FA Cup final on May 25, when they take on rivals Manchester City in a repeat of last year’s showpiece.
Pundits’ verdict on Ten Hag’s future
Where do the pundits stand on Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United future?
Michael Owen – He has to go
“He cannot, simply cannot, manage this team next season. He’s not good enough.”
Teddy Sheringham – Might stay if he wins Cup but should go
“If United win the FA Cup, he could stay. But, for me, changes are needed and United need to get it done sooner than later.”
Jamie Carragher – Sacked
“I don’t see how Erik ten Hag stays. It’s just performance after performance.”
Gary Neville – Stay if he wins the FA Cup
“To sack a manager who’s won two trophies in his first two seasons at the club I think would be extreme.”
Louis Saha – On the fence
“I don’t see it as clearly but they need changes from the players but they need changes from him as well.”
Alan Shearer – Sacked
“I believe the future of the Man Utd manager is already determined. Even if they win the FA Cup I think he’s gone.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
