Gary Neville fires Erik ten Hag sack warning as Manchester United decision timeline set

Gary Neville fears for Erik ten Hag's future at Old Trafford should Manchester United lose to Chelsea next Sunday.

The Dutchman has won just one of his last eight fixtures in all competitions, having seen his side lose four of their nine Premier League games this season. United board members met for a pre-scheduled executive meeting earlier this month and did not decide to sack Ten Hag.

Since October's international break, United have beaten Brentford, drawn with Fenerbahce and lost to West Ham. Sunday's defeat to the Hammers - which the hosts won 2-1 thanks to a controversial stoppage-time penalty - means United sit 14th in the Premier League table.

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They have scored just eight times in nine league matches and wasted a host of scoring opportunities against West Ham - one of which saw Diogo Dalot miss an open goal. Neville believes that lack of potency and general poor form ma, ultimately cost Ten Hag his job.

"Erik ten Hag is asking for trouble," he said on his Sky Sports podcast. "He's 14th in the league nine games in, and nine games is nearly 25 per cent of the season gone.

"It will be a big worry for everybody at the club, because the performance levels... United should have been 2-0 up, but they lost. They are 14th, they've spent a fortune.

"I was quite clear at the end of last season that, if they're in that same position in the league after the first few months, there will be a lot of questions being asked."

Neville went on to suggest that United insiders might well be mulling over the club's start to the season and the trajectory they are headed in. The pundit circled Sunday's game against Chelsea as a pivotal match for Ten Hag and his future at United.

"I suspect internally there are a lot of questions being asked and this week is not going to be a great week," the former United captain continued. "They've got a game in the Carabao Cup midweek, but it will all come down to next weekend's game against Chelsea.

"Anybody that's half-decent, that can play, can beat this United team and they're in danger. I don't think there can be another defeat next weekend at Old Trafford.

"It's getting to the point where there's a real worry, I'm worried. The results, the lack of goals, lack of performances are stacking up week after week."