Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag says being relegated from the Premier League is possible for the Red Devils.
United, 13-time Premier League champions, have not dropped out of the English top flight since 1974. However, they are now hovering dangerously close to the relegation zone under Michael Carrick, with their difficult season raising serious concerns.
Ten Hag, who was dismissed after two-and-a-half years at Old Trafford, believes relegation cannot be ruled out given the strength of the Premier League.
“In the Premier League it’s certainly possible, because all the teams are simply strong,” the Dutchman told ESPN.
“They’re all strong squads, all good managers. And if you end up on the wrong side once and you really get into that vicious circle, yes, then it can become very, very difficult.”
Despite United’s current problems, Ten Hag remains convinced that his own spell in charge was a success.
The 56-year-old won the FA Cup and League Cup during his time at Old Trafford, while also guiding United to a third-place finish in the Premier League and two FA Cup finals.
“I think we performed pretty well with United. I think we had performed more than pretty well. We couldn’t have done it better,” he said.
“Before we arrived, six years without winning a trophy. Look where they are now. We were at Wembley six times, we played two FA Cup finals.
“We won two trophies, we finished third. And yes, we simply performed pretty well. And at times we also played pretty good football.”
Ten Hag acknowledged that his team experienced difficult periods but pointed to the demanding nature of English football as a major challenge.
“We also had a difficult spell, but the Premier League is so strong and when you hit a difficult spell, yes, then you really have a problem,” he added.
