Graeme Souness takes aim at Erik ten Hag’s ‘ill-fitting suits’ in bizarre swipe

He's speaking again

Manchester United are enduring their worst start to the season in 60 years after eight defeats in all competitions.

As a result, Ten Hag is coming under increasing amounts of pressure and Souness is convinced that the Dutchman is facing the sack and the decision to appoint him in the first place was the wrong call.

Bizarrely, Souness also hit out at Ten Hag's "soft" accent meant he wouldn't be able to hold team talks properly as well as slamming his style of suits.

"Never in my wildest imagination have I been able to picture Erik ten Hag holding court from the middle of a dressing room, convincing a group of young men with highly inflated opinions of themselves that they are all going places together," he told the Daily Mail.

"I think the majority of them are struggling to buy into his body language, his demeanour, his soft Dutch accent, his ill-fitting suits. From his very first team talk, the players will have worked out what he is and what he isn’t.

"The club are now at a stage where there’s little Ten Hag can do about any of it. I assure you he will have said everything he can say, tried absolutely everything he feels he can do, to make it work. He’s exhausted all the ideas and terminology. He is now entering every game on a wing and a prayer."

Despite the disappointing start to the season, Ten Hag has insisted he's the right man for the job.

He said: "We know the standards here and we have to match the standards every day. We have had two big setbacks and we will fight back. This dressing room is strong and this staff is strong and this manager is strong," he said.

"Remember the fight we showed against Brentford and that comeback. If there wasn't spirit in the dressing room or there aren't characters in the dressing room, you can't do this. I have a good squad. I am convinced of the players in the dressing room.

"These players we have seen last year. They can do a lot better but it is up to me to let them play better. I take the responsibility to let them play better and I will put everything in to get this done."

Related links:

• Five managers who could replace Erik ten Hag if Man United decide to make a change
• Man United players receive bizarre offer from adult website after Newcastle defeat
• Erik ten Hag says Man United are ‘on the way up’