By Josh O'Brien
Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has been praised for his ability to integrate youth talent into the first-team as speculation over his long-term future continues to linger.
The Dutchman's future is in serious doubt as United's dismal season suffered a fresh embarrassment on Sunday afternoon. Despite actually progressing past Championship outfit Coventry City on penalties, the fact they were 3-0 up only to be pegged back at 3-3 meant calls for change only grew louder.
It has been a dire campaign for the club, struggling to keep pace in the battle for European football next season. United currently languish in seventh in the table, a staggering 16 points adrift of fourth position, though they have played two games less than occupants Aston Villa.
Despite all the doom and gloom, Ten Hag has received some kind words from United's academy director Nick Cox. The Red Devils chief was nothing but complimentary about the ex-Ajax boss and insisted Ten Hag has his finger on the pulse of the club's youth set-up.
Cox told MailSport: "I don't know for sure, but I would suggest he was appointed because of his track record or one of the reasons he was the lead candidate would be because he had a track record of developing players and I think any Manchester United manager has to know how to win but has to know how to stick to our values of integrating youth into a winning first team.
"The bit that people don't see is the amount of boys that actually work with him on a daily basis to support training, not necessarily the group that we've been talking about here at the 18s, but the 21s have a really close connection and boys that will support the team to prepare on a weekly basis.
"That's invaluable in terms of our young players' learning and education, to have the opportunity to go and train some of the best players in the world, some of the most successful players in the world only brings about and accelerates their development even further. That's a great ingredient that money can't buy."
HAVE YOUR SAY! Will Ten Hag still be at Man Utd next season? Comment below
Ten Hag has overseen the meteoric rise of midfield sensation Kobbie Mainoo this term, adding further weight to the claim that he is an ideal manager for young talents looking to break into the first-team fold. Whether he is around to do it for much longer though, remains to be seen.
One person who isn't convinced is Liverpool icon Jamie Carragher, who told Sky Sports on Sunday that the way in which United surrendered their lead in normal time against Coventry could be enough to cost Ten Hag his job.
"I think that result has just cost Erik ten Hag his job," he claimed. "I don’t see how he stays, I really don’t. It’s just poor performance after poor performance. That dressing room is probably the most embarrassed dressing room from a team that has just won a big game.
"You can’t even celebrate that win. Maybe that can somehow win the final but I just don’t see any progress. This is somebody’s job we’re talking about but I just don’t see how they [the owners] can look at the situation and be positive about it. I don’t see it."
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