Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has been criticised after he called out the club’s board for their lack of spending in January. The Dutchman admits he wasn’t happy at not being able to make any permanent signings in the winter but Simon Jordan has hit back by claiming he wasted a big chunk of his budget last summer.
United committed to paying around £220million in Ten Hag’s first window in charge. That meant there were no funds left in January for major arrivals.
Ten Hag brought in Wout Weghorst and Marcel Sabitzer on loan, as well as backup goalkeeper Jack Butland. United achieved their goal in the Premier League of finishing in the top four and qualifying for the Champions League.
But Ten Hag insisted on Sunday that was in spite of the lack of January spending in a clear message to the club’s board. He said: “The club knows that if you want to play top four, if you want to compete for trophies in this tough league, you have to invest, otherwise you won’t progress because other clubs will. We saw it in the winter.
“All the clubs around us invested. We didn’t and still we made it. So I am really happy and proud of my team.”
But Jordan has hit out at Ten Hag’s comments. He claims the 53-year-old should have focused on improving the players he already has, including Antony who arrived from Ajax for around £86m last August, rather than on January targets.
Jordan said on talkSPORT: “How about you coach the players like Antony to perform at a certain level so you don’t need to acquire players in the January window to fill the gap of the lack of performance those players are putting in? How about that being part of the equation?
“Okay, Ten Hag. You should have spent £170m in August and £50m in January. Would that have suited you better?
“No, you decided to fire your bolt early and spend £220m in the August window. What have you done with that?”
Jordan in particular thinks Antony has not been a good signing by Ten Hag. He believes it has been a waste of money and has called out Ten Hag for spending most of United’s budget on the Brazil winger.
He added: “One of the huge parts of it was Antony. He’s c**p. He’s £90m worth of c**p!
“He’s spent £220m. What he said was on the £220m: ‘Thank you I’ll have that, but what have you done for me lately? None of the reasons why I was unsuccessful in January is down to me. I have not made Antony better and he has not delivered outcomes, but I got you to spend £90m on him’.
“But that doesn’t count in this conversation.”
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