Manchester United rumour is “out of order”, fumes Arsenal legend Ian Wright

Arsenal legend Ian Wright is against a rumour that involves Manchester United, Erik ten Hag, England, and Gareth Southgate.

Erik ten Hag‘s future at Manchester United is very much up in the air. Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS are assessing their options ahead of next season at Old Trafford.

This season has not been what United fans would have expected. The club has been out of the Champions League and Carabao Cup while sitting sixth in the Premier League, although the pending FA Cup semi-final is breathing life into his campaign towards the business end of the season.

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There have been strong links in the last week that England manager Gareth Southgate is now the “number one” choice to replace Ten Hag at the club, although other sources have stressed that no decision on whether there will be a new manager has been made yet.

Ian Wright, the legendary Arsenal striker, has explained that he feels the timing of the news is off-key as it will put Southgate off ahead of a huge EURO 2024 Tournament for the England men’s team.

“For them to be talking about it now is a bit off-key, putting off Gareth like that,” the Arsenal legend said on the Stick to Football podcast. “The fact is that if he doesn’t win the FA Cup Ten Hag or get into the top four, then you probably can have those conversations, but at the moment, he looks like he might do something.

“You see Gareth and, yeah, he’s a stand-up guy, and you could see how it could be, but it shouldn’t be now. It’s out of order. Because of Erik ten Hag.

“I can’t even get into the world of the pressure he is under. I think that as well when I say things about the structure and we’re not seeing this or the players haven’t improved but I can’t get into the pressure this man is under.”

Continuing the conversation, United ex-fullback Gary Neville has explained that the move may not happen as, logistically, it could create chaos for England.

“If Gareth is leaving, England has qualifiers after the tournament, so they will have to have a new manager in,” he said.

“Gareth will need to sort his future out to get a club for potentially the start of next season, so I think if it’s done maturely, I can see how it would be brought forward…

“England are going to have to appoint a new manager, so they will have to appoint one pre-tournament, probably, and say: ‘Look, Gareth is leaving after the tournament’ unless Gareth leaves on the last day quietly. I don’t know.”