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Erik ten Hag dealt Man Utd reality check as team 'worse than Mourinho's and Solskjaer's'
Erik ten Hag has been warned his Manchester United team is no better than previous incarnations under Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has been dealt a reality check over his progress at Old Trafford. Richard Keys claims the current Red Devils team is no better than the ones Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer managed.
Ten Hag helped United end their six-year trophy drought earlier this year with the Carabao Cup triumph over Newcastle. They are also in a good position to win both the FA Cup and Europa League, as well as finish inside the Premier League top four.
But Keys does not think the progress has been as big as some people think. The presenter reckons Mourinho's team which won two trophies in the 2016/17 campaign, as well as Solskjaer's second-placed squad in the 2020/21 season, were both better than the current United team.
Former Liverpool winger Jason McAteer argued the case on beIN SPORTS on Sunday that United are as not far down the road as some people think. He said: "They are moving in the right direction but the step is not as big as that football club thinks it is."
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Keys agreed with the pundit and gave his comparison to previous incarnations of the United side. He replied: "Well I would argue that as well, I have to say.
"Everybody's telling me they've made progress but are they as good as the team Mourinho left and won two trophies in that season? Don't know.
"Are they as good as the team that Solskjaer had and finished second? Maybe not. Are they as good as the team that Van Gaal won the FA Cup with? Maybe."
Andy Gray believes Keys is wrong to judge Ten Hag on how United were before he arrived. The Scot reckons the Old Trafford club are far better off since the Dutchman came.
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Gray said: "You can only judge him from the day he took over the club. Are they in a better position? Yes. Are they better equipped? Yes. Are they a happier ship? I would say yes."
But Keys stood firm in his stance that United are still a long way off from the glory days of yesteryear. He said: "It would have been hard for that not to be the case after [Ralf] Rangnick's tenure, wouldn't it?
"I'm saying as a club, because that is what everybody judges it by, have they made enough progress to say 'Manchester United are on their way back' and what Manchester United fans are desperate for, the success that Fergie had, will follow? I don't think they're anywhere near."
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