Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes has suggested that Manchester United needs to finish eighth (8th) in the league this season.
Scholes believes finishing 8th and subsequently missing out on Champions League football next season will give new Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag the time he needs.
United announced ten Hag as their incoming manager on Thursday afternoon, with the Dutch manager set to take charge at the end of this season.
Give Erik ten Hag time - Paul Scholes
Manchester United are currently sixth (6th) on the Premier League table after recording their ninth (9th) league defeat of the season on Tuesday night, a 4-0 away defeat at Liverpool.
In the aftermath of the match, Scholes took to his personal Instagram account to berate the team's current position and state his opinion ahead of the season end.
Scholes wrote: "Finish 8th and give this man the time he needs… saddened by what’s happening, unrecognisable football club.”
Manchester United in crisis ahead of Ten Hag arrival
Finishing 8th would mean Manchester United miss out totally on playing European football next season including the lower Europa League and Europa Conference League.
A swathe of players are expected to leave Old Trafford at the end of the season as Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic lead the pack, with Jesse Lingard, Edinson Cavani, and Juan Mata all possible departures also.
Without European football, Manchester United would play one match a week for the most part of the season, giving Ten Hag ample time to coach new tactics to an expectedly much-changed United side.
Ten Hag signed a three-year deal with Manchester United till June 2015 and would be under pressure to show results as soon as possible.