INEOS told by Rio Ferdinand they made Man Utd mistake before sacking Erik ten Hag

Rio Ferdinand has criticised minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS team over their mistreatment of Erik ten Hag. Despite leading the Red Devils to their poorest-ever performance in the Premier League last term, Ten Hag managed to clinch an FA Cup triumph and secure a contract extension this summer.

Yet the waters remained murky over Ten Hag's future at Old Trafford. Whispers about potential successors began surfacing, alongside claims Ratcliffe's outfit had been courting various managers - even as they publically stood by the 54-year-old.

Now, only nine games into the league season, Ten Hag has finally been shown the exit door, with Ruben Amorim reportedly the No.1 target to replace him. Ferdinand does not entirely agree with the way in which the Dutchman has been treated.

Ferdinand said on his YouTube channel: "I look at INEOS, and I think about the way that things panned out at the end of the season - did they back themselves into a corner with the way they handled stuff in the summer?

"I think retrospectively, I think they'll look back and go: 'Look we could've handled this differently, handled this better.' I think having a manager in place and actively looking for new managers and it becoming public knowledge isn't a great way to do it."

Amorim has emerged as the prime candidate to succeed Ten Hag, with negotiations reportedly advancing. However, Ferdinand has expressed concerns, fearing that the Portuguese may not be in for the easiest of times at Old Trafford should he arrive.

"It's hard for the guy coming in - to come in under that cloud," he added. "It is also even harder for the guy who is in that seat, in the hot seat, still the manager and then they keep him in as manager.

"He [Ten Hag] had to face and field questions constantly about his standing within the organisation because were looking and talking to potential new managers while he was sitting in the hot seat. Not a great way to start I don't think.

"But, I think, listen, it's difficult, it's hard, it's not easy to do this, it's not easy to navigate through a situation that is so public, a club the size of . But, I think if they're honest, INEOS, they could've done that in a better way, and I think in time, down the line, when we look back, I think they'll be in 100 per cent agreement."

Reflecting on what may have been the turning point for Ten Hag at , Ferdinand believes the 3-0 defeat at home to was a low. He continued: "They've kept the man in charge. The season kicks in.

"I actually thought we were starting to see some new signs in the first two or three games, and then we get beat by , and we never recovered.

"It was like a boxer getting hit and knocked down in the third round and never recovering, getting knocked out, and getting knocked down every single round on the way to the 12th round. Finally, we're here. The fight has been called off in the last round for the manager, and I think now we're going to go in a new direction."