Louis Saha: ‘Erik ten Hag will come under pressure if Manchester United lose to Liverpool, but he’s not at threat of being sacked.’

After Saturday’s 2-1 defeat away to Brighton, next up for Manchester United is an enormous test against Liverpool at Old Trafford on Sunday. After all of the uncertainty regarding Erik ten Hag’s future at the backend of last season, Manchester United legend Louis Saha expects his former club’s manager to come under pressure if his side are defeated on Sunday, but doesn’t believe Ten Hag will be at threat of being sacked. In an exclusive interview with Betfred, Saha gave his views on Jadon Sancho to Chelsea speculation, whether he believes Raheem Sterling would be a good signing for Manchester United and whether he believes Everton can be relegated from the Premier League this season. 

What did you make of Manchester United’s performance against Brighton on Saturday? Do you believe it’s difficult to blame Erik ten Hag for the defeat when you consider that both Brighton goals came from defensive errors?

“I think when you look at the game and the control they had at parts, it wasn’t too bad. We should always consider Brighton as a difficult team to play against as we’ve never had an easy ride against them. Top teams can still find a way to win matches when it’s not been an easy game for them and this is where Manchester United really have to improve. 

“For the second goal, there was a lack of concentration, communication and organisation at a crucial time and they need to rectify these mistakes very quickly. The manager has to do better because these players are very experienced and need to be reminded all the time to do basic things. The second goal was horrific to see. They were badly set up and it cost us the game.

“Overall, you can say it’s a better foundation. We may not be as dominant as we’d like, but you can see signs that we’re going in the right direction. If Garnacho’s goal would have counted, we probably would have got there, so Manchester United were a bit unlucky.”

What changes would you make to Manchester United’s starting eleven for the game against Liverpool this weekend?

“It would be nice to see Joshua Zirkzee start. He’s a player that’s very interesting and gets involved in the right places. I’d like to see his game improve with more minutes and confidence.

“Mason Mount has been very active but from an attacking midfielder, that’s not enough. He needs to push himself more because there are players on the bench waiting to take his place. For Sunday’s game though, I’d definitely like to see a striker up top because even though the false nine works sometimes in terms of pressing, that's not the mission. The mission is to score goals.”

If it’s a defeat against Liverpool, do you believe Erik ten Hag is going to come under significant pressure so early on in the new season?

“There’s going to be pressure, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to be sacked. If they lose heavily or they put in a bad performance, then he’s going to be under pressure. In football, when you’re winning it’s fine and when you lose, it can change very quickly. 

“He was saved last season by winning the FA Cup, that’s for sure, but as with all of his players, the manager also needs to improve. I’m sure everybody around the manager is working very hard and I just want to see goals, fight and passion. I think we’re getting there but there’s also new signings that are going to need time to adapt. Zirkzee’s seemed to have adapted quite quickly and I’m sure the manager will be boosted by that.”

Do you believe we’re witnessing Amad Diallo becoming a top, top player?

“I think we are because his position is all about creating chances, assisting and scoring goals and he’s doing all these things on a regular basis. He’s a dangerous player. We’ve seen Garnacho play in that position too, so it’s nice to see that competition in the squad.

“There’s definitely elements of his game that he can improve and I’m sure that the manager’s going to push everybody. By scoring goals and creating assists, Amad is showing us all what we want to see. We don’t want to see all these silly stats about pressing and ball recovery because at the end of the day, it’s about the end product. This is what all of Manchester United’s wingers need to do on a regular basis. You need to find the pockets that allow you to become the danger and we saw a lot of big scores across the Premier League this weekend due to the fact that many teams have dangerous forwards.”

With Manchester United reportedly closing in on the signing of Manuel Ugarte from PSG, do you believe that he, Casemiro and Kobbie Mainoo can play alongside each other in the same midfield? 

“There’s a balance that needs to be found and they’re all very good players. They need to find a solution and Manchester United need legs in their midfield, as well as creativity. We need players that can recover the ball and make that quick pass and we saw that from Casemiro in his first season at the club. We need Kobbie Mainoo to provide that creativity more than Casemiro because Casemiro should be the main player protecting the defence. 

“Ugarte will help with that protection of the defence because he’s got legs and lots of energy. Sometimes Casemiro is at fault for goals because he’s pushed too far forward and Mainoo does the same. We also need more creative midfielders, like Bruno Fernandes, that can break the lines and be courageous with the ball. Ugarte however is more like Casemiro and Kobbie Mainoo, so we need to find the right balance.”

The Athletic have reported that Chelsea could make a late approach for Jadon Sancho. Do you believe Jadon can still be a success in the Premier League? Do you believe he could be a success at Chelsea and do you believe selling Sancho to a Premier League rival is a decision that your former club may end up regretting?

“That’s going to be a really bad piece of business, for sure, because it’s really hard to see how it can work due to all the other young attacking players already at Chelsea. I don’t see why he would be excited to go there and I don’t see him going to Chelsea anyway, but I could be wrong. There’s still space for him on Manchester United’s team, but the manager may want to sell him. I do understand though that Jadon’s looking for a solution to find first-team football elsewhere.”

The Telegraph have reported that Chelsea are hoping that Manchester United are interested in Raheem Sterling being included in any deal for Jadon Sancho. If Sancho was to depart one way, would you welcome Raheem moving to Old Trafford in return?

“He’s a great player and I don’t understand why he’s in the situation he’s in at Chelsea. I don’t really understand Chelsea at all. Due to his age, I don’t see Raheem fitting the bill for Manchester United. I know that we need to find that extra flair, but I would prefer to see Marcus Rashford on top form rather than signing another player in the same position. I don’t see the benefits from that situation. I’d prefer to see an attacking midfielder, which is what Jadon Sancho is.” 

With Napoli having a bid accepted for Scott McTominay, did you ultimately want the Scotland international to remain at Old Trafford this summer? Do you believe it’s a mistake to sell him?

“Scott’s a great lad and I’m a bit sad to see him go because he’s a product of Manchester United’s youth academy and he’s always shown 100% commitment to the club. The manager knows that Scott can play in different roles, adapt and still improve, but the style of play that Erik ten Hag’s looking to implement may not suit Scott.”

Are you expecting big things from Dominic Solanke at Tottenham this season? Do you believe he could end up being worth the £65 million they paid to sign him from Bournemouth?

“He’s a good player and his style definitely compliments what Tottenham already have in terms of their attacking players. It’s about finding the right balance between speed and clinical finishing and I think they needed Solanke for that. He’s a very clever player around the box, so he will definitely get chances and I think he’s also a very stable player mentally because you never see him making a big fuss or things like this. I do believe he’s going to work really well with Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski going forward. Tottenham also have terrifically powerful midfielders, so Dominic’s going to get chances and he can find the right solutions like Harry Kane did back in the day. He’s not going to be as good as Harry Kane, or as prolific, but he can still do really well and let’s all forget about his price-tag because that’s not his problem.” 

With Kieran Trippier reportedly looking to leave Newcastle in the remaining days of the transfer window, Everton are said to be one of the teams interested in him. Do you believe he could be a perfect signing for your former club?

“Yes, I think so. He’s a top lad, he’s a winner, he’s a motivator and he’s a leader. It would be a great signing. He’s a player that can help both defensively and offensively and he can create chances for Everton’s forwards. Strikers needed great crosses and I believe Kieran will be able to do this for them.”

After two alarming defeats so far this season against Brighton and Tottenham respectively, are you really worried that this is the season that Everton could finally be relegated from the Premier League?

“Yes, it is a possibility. It’s too early in the season to say for certain, but they definitely have to be careful. They’ve already had two big defeats, not created a lot of chances and not played well. They’re going to be judged by how they do against the teams down their fighting for survival and there’s going to be a few games this season where they’ll be backing themselves to get the three points. It’s still very early in the season, so I’m really hoping that they can find their form.”

With Chelsea reportedly struggling in their pursuit for Victor Osimhen, they could consider Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin as a cheaper alternative. Do you believe Dominic could be a good signing for the Stamford Bridge outfit?

“To be honest, I don’t even like commenting on what’s going on at Chelsea. I just don’t understand what they’re doing. I’m not saying that Dominic Calvert-Lewin is a bad player or anything like this, but Chelsea already have too many players. Players aren’t commodities, they’re people. They’re being treated like they’re just a number. I think what they’re doing is really bad.”

Ivan Toney looks close to making a move to Saudi Arabia. What are your thoughts on this? 

“In the view of a national team manager, it’s always better to be playing in Europe, in a top league, because it’s the best place to be recognised. Going to Saudi could have an impact on Ivan’s England prospects because the manager may believe it’s not as competitive. I’m not saying I agree with that, but that’s how it could be viewed.

“After his ban, Ivan came back and went to the Euros with England and showed what he can provide for them, so it will be strange to a certain extent if this move to Saudi goes ahead.”