Gary Neville slams Erik ten Hag for making ‘two of the worst signings in Man United’s history’ as he blames former manager and club chiefs for ‘panic buys’

Gary Neville has ripped into Erik ten Hag and the Manchester United administration for overseeing ‘two of the worst signings’ in the club’s history.

The Old Trafford legend believes their transfer policy has defined by ‘panic’, overspending, and having to constantly sign new stars to make up for failures. 

Ten Hag was sacked on Monday with the club 14th in the table and on the back of their worst-ever Premier League season, in which they finished eighth.

And Neville highlighted Casemiro and Antony, who arrived in 2022 for £60million and £86m respectively, as two of their biggest transfer flops. 

‘The performances have been really poor this season, the results have been shocking, the league position is terrible,’ Neville said on Ten Hag’s sacking on It’s Called Soccer!

The pair arrived at Old Trafford in the summer of 2022 for a combined fee of £148million 

Neville says that Erik ten Hag’s ‘oversaw’ the signings but also pinned blame on club chiefs

‘His legacy is definitely winning two trophies in two seasons through a very difficult point. 

‘The recruitment to be fair has been appalling for ten years and he’s been a victim of that himself. I think he oversaw two of the worst transfers Manchester United will ever have made in the signings of Casemiro and Antony. 

‘They were signed for £140-150m in a panic after the Brentford and Brighton losses. I hope I’m wrong, I hope Casemiro can do a great job for the club for four or five years and I hope Antony comes good.

‘But those signings are why United have had to go back into the transfer market and sign [Manuel] Ugarte and other players. 

‘That was the ultimate in poor management from those above Erik ten Hag. That should have been one big fat no when those two players became available for those prices and those salaries.’

Casemiro’s weekly deal is worth around £350,000 while Antony’s is reported to be £200,000. 

While Casemiro, a five-time Champions League winner with Real Madrid, enjoyed a stellar first season, inconsistency has marred his subsequent performances.

Meanwhile, Antony has failed to live up to the potential he showed under Ten Hag at Ajax and been slammed for his behaviour, such as mocking Coventry City’s stars after United beat them on penalties in last season’s FA Cups semi-finals.  

‘That was the ultimate in poor management from those above Erik ten Hag,’ Neville said 

Ten Hag, who demanded a big say in recruitment before taking the job but had to work in a structure of executives, paid the price for United’s stalled progress on Monday.

While he bolstered their trophy cabinet with a Carabao Cup and an FA Cup, their shaky performances in Europe and inconsistency in the league proved a step too far. 

Ruud van Nistelrooy has been placed in interim charge while the club look to close a deal to hire Sporting Lisbon manager Ruben Amorim.