Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has been told he's "deluded" following his comments in the aftermath of Sunday's derby defeat.
The Red Devils made the trip to the Etihad to take on local rivals and reigning champions Manchester City and despite taking the lead, left with nothing after Pep Guardiola's side ran out 3-1 winners. A Phil Foden brace and a late Erling Haaland strike were enough to ensure Marcus Rashford's wondergoal meant nothing in the end.
City displayed overwhelming dominance, with 27 shots on goal to United's three as well as the lion's share of possession. Despite this, Ten Hag heaped praise on his side at full-time, insisting they could have won the game were it not for the "small margins" and claimed the Red Devils defended "brilliantly".
Former Chelsea star and prominent pundit Chris Sutton has issued an emphatic response to Ten Hag's post-match theory. Speaking on the It's All Kicking Off podcast, he explained: "Erik ten Hag is deluded. I think Man United have done a full circle under him.
"His first Manchester derby they lost 6-3 and I predicted a cricket score that day and I went for that again yesterday. Man City are so far ahead of Man United (but) the biggest concern - and I appreciate managers have to put a positive spin on things - is listening to Ten Hag saying things like 'we are progressing, that was a good performance.'
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"If I was a Man United fan I would really be questioning what the manager is saying and the way the team are playing. The truth is I don't think anyone sees a future for Erik ten Hag (at United) beyond this season."
If the meeting on Sunday wasn't enough to highlight the huge gulf in quality between the two teams, the league table makes for grim reading from United's perspective. City sit four places above them, with an 18 point advantage and a vastly superior goal difference.
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Chris Sutton has torn into Man Utd manager Erik ten Hag (BT Sport)While Guardiola's side are aiming for a sixth title in seven season's, United's hopes of Champions League qualification are fading by the week. Ten Hag's men sit sixth in the table, 11 points adrift of Aston Villa who currently occupy the much-coveted fourth spot.
The fixture list isn't exactly kind to United either. Between now and the end of the campaign, Ten Hag still has to face off with fellow 'big six' outfits Liverpool and Arsenal at home, as well as a tricky trip to west London to face off with struggling Chelsea.
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