Paul Gascoigne has backed Sir Alex Ferguson to make a sensational return to Manchester United as pressure continues to mount on Erik ten Hag.
Ten Hag was retained back in the summer after guiding the club to FA Cup glory, despite the fallen giants finishing eighth in the Premier League table.
United have since endured a poor start to the current campaign, picking up just eight points from seven matches.
Ten Hag is back under pressure as a result, with the likes of Edin Terzic, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Thomas Tuchel all emerging as potential replacements.
Man Utd news: Sir Alex Ferguson has been backed to make a sensational return to Old Trafford by Paul Gascoigne
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Gascoigne, speaking to SportsCasting, says he feels sorry for Ten Hag.
And he’s also backed Ferguson to come back in to sort out players who are ‘taking the p**s’ amid the club’s patchy form.
“[Erik] ten Hag, I feel sorry for him a bit,” said the former England international, who turned down a move to United during his playing days.
“I’d love [Sir Alex] Ferguson to take over for one season and just see what he could do with those players because I think some of them take the p**s out of him (Ten Hag).
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“You’ve got to give the man a bit of respect and it’s such a massive club, I don’t think some of the players realise who they’re playing for.”
One player who has been relatively good for United this season is Marcus Rashford.
The England international has returned to form after scoring just eight goals last term.
Yet Gascoigne has condemned the 26-year-old, expressing a belief that he ‘doesn’t care’ while also recommending a move to Italy.
“I love [Marcus] Rashford, I think he’s an unbelievable player but he just doesn’t seem to care,” he continued.
“Even when he scores, he doesn’t seem happy about it, so there’s something going on there.
“If that’s the case just move on. He doesn’t seem happy playing in England anyway and some good clubs will come in for him.
“Go to Italy, that’ll shake him up. It shook me up a bit.”
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United are, however, firmly behind Ten Hag for the time being.
Old Trafford chiefs held a seven-hour meeting in London last week, something that fuelled talk that the 54-year-old could be about to leave.
But United have opted to stick with Ten Hag, who is currently preparing for their showdown with Brentford on Saturday.
There’s no escaping the fact that both results and performances must improve, however.
Man Utd news: Paul Gascoigne has criticised Marcus Rashford’s body language and feels players are ‘taking the p**s’ out of Erik ten Hag
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United’s tally of eight points from seven matches means they’ve endured their worst start to a Premier League season in history.
Brentford will bring back memories for Ten Hag, with the Bees beating his side twice since his appointment at Old Trafford in 2022.