Man United in crisis as Jurgen Klopp winces at rotten rivals and troubled Erik Ten Hag sees vultures circle

Rotten Manchester United’s woes are proving so pronounced it has led to their biggest rival’s manager wincing in agony.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp couldn’t hide his reaction to Erik Ten Hag’s living nightmare as his gaze was diverted from the assembled media to a screen showing Newcastle romping to a 3-0 Carabao Cup triumph at Old Trafford. United and their beleaguered boss have lost eight games this season in all competitions and even Klopp couldn’t mask the severity of the Dutchman’s plight.

Klopp’s “ooh” was picked up by cameras after the 2-1 win over Bournemouth and it’s a fair reflection of the agony currently running through Old Trafford. And punters are now parting with their cash as they reckon Ten Hag could be the next boss to be axed in the Premier League. The former Ajax boss sits behind only winless Sheffield United manager Paul Heckingbottom in the bookies’ sack race.

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BoyleSports, said: “It was another dismal display from Manchester United at home last night. Our punters now think ten Hag is on borrowed time and we’re seeing the sack race and the successor market heat up.”

And former West Ham star Shaka Hislop has warned United they cannot follow convention if the axe falls. Speaking to ESPN, he said: “Who is next? You are [typically] looking for a manager who has won silverware, a manager who brings a ready-made reputation.

“I think the appointments of Postecoglou, who did really well up in Scotland, and De Zerbi shows that it’s a whole lot more than that. It’s about the right fit. My point being, it cannot be, Manchester United cannot just think ‘whos won something and who can I bring in’.

“Everything about United’s recruitment and across the board suggests that it’s just been that one-dimensional. That’s where you end up with a manager that cannot change things when things go poorly and players who don’t know what to do in terms of digging themselves out of a whole they have played a big part in digging.”