In a difficult context for Manchester United, Gary Neville did not mince his words on Erik ten Hag’s move to Old Trafford. While the Dutch manager has just been sacked following a series of poor results, the former England defender has singled out two of his most controversial recruitments: Antony and Casemiro.
According to him, these two players could well be “the worst transfers in Manchester United history”. Arriving for combined fees of around £150m, these signings were made in a state of emergency, following defeats to Brentford and Brighton.
Recruitment management under pressure
Neville, who spoke on the podcast It’s Called Soccer!highlighted the flaws in a recruitment process that he says has hurt United for a decade. “Ten Hag was the victim of catastrophic recruitment management. Antony and Casemiro were signed in a hurry, and this lack of strategy forced the club to return to the market to find solutions, as with Manuel Ugarte.he added.
Despite this criticism, he expressed his hope that Casemiro and Antony would succeed under the leadership of Ruud van Nistelrooy, who was appointed interim coach.
