I have watched Manchester United and their priority should not be sacking Erik ten Hag

Former Premier League manager Sam Allardyce believes Manchester United must focus on improving their recruitment infrastructure before proceeding to sack Erik ten Hag.

The Dutchman's job is currently hanging by a thread after a difficult second season at Old Trafford. United were knocked out of the Champions League comfortably and their Carabao Cup defence ended with a whimper at home to Newcastle.

Qualifying for the Champions League next season looks highly unlikely with United 13 points off the pace in the Premier League. The only saving grace for the Reds is that they could still end the campaign with silverware through the FA Cup.

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With Sir Jim Ratcliffe now overseeing the football side of the club, the pressure is on Ten Hag to end this campaign with a flourish so as to potentially save his job. However, speaking on William Hill and Footy Accumulators’ podcast, No Tippy Tappy Football, Allardyce is adamant that behind-the-scenes matters need to change before the club thinks of sacking their manager.

"The biggest worry at United is the infrastructure behind the scenes, particularly in terms of recruitment," he explained. "If a club gets their recruitment right and keeps it the same no matter who comes in, it's great for the next head coach who can have their own influence on it and they know it's good enough.

"Then you start getting the right players in that earn the reputation they get, the money they're given and effectively become more valuable assets to the club. Whenever somebody wants to overpay, you accept that you're going to lose them but you're always after at least 20 per cent