Manchester United Should Have Hired England Manager Gareth Southgate Over Erik Ten Hag, Says Danny Murphy

Danny Murphy would have hired Gareth Southgate for the Manchester United job because the club needs someone to come in and create a "unity, atmosphere and energy" like the current England squad.

The Reds finally appointed Erik ten Hag as their new manager in April after months of speculation surrounding the job.

United's decision to hire the 52-year-old, who has enjoyed success at Eredivisie side Ajax, has been welcomed by many supporters, but former Liverpool midfielder Murphy thinks they should have opted for Southgate.

Southgate and his assistant coach Steve Holland have earned plenty of plaudits since taking over. They reached the semi-final of the 2018 World Cup before falling at the last hurdle against Italy at last summer's European Championship.

Murphy believes the "very intelligent" Southgate would have been a huge boost to the overall harmony within the first-team squad at Old Trafford.

When asked who he would have picked for the United job – Southgate and his assistant Holland or Ten Hag – the former England international said: "Gareth and Steve."

He added: "Well I know them. They've come a long way, the pair of them, they've got a great partnership.

"I think for what they've achieved at England, the way he's managed players, big players, I think he's evolved into a very, very intelligent football manager. With Steve by his side I think they'd do a great job at a big club."

Murphy continued: “What United need now isn’t all about on the pitch. They will be judged on that, but initially what do United need?

“They need someone to bring together this squad and try and create a unity, atmosphere and energy that England have. I think that would be fair.

“What Ten Hag has done, of course it is credible winning the league three times with Ajax and he did alright with Utrecht.

“He’s not managed big players at a big club, so we don’t know how he’s going to deal with that pressure.

“Every part of his life will be magnified, whether that will be the wrong shop at the wrong time, or drives the wrong car. Everything he does, is now going to be talked about.”

Ten Hag will be joined in the Old Trafford hot seat alongside assistants Mitchell van der Gaag and Steve McClaren, who spent two years as Sir Alex Ferguson's number two at United between 1999 and 2001.

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