Erik ten Hag has been given a chastening reprimand for his insistence Manchester United are playing attacking football.
The Red Devils came up well short against Man City two weeks ago in a 3-1 loss, but the Dutchman believed his side had performed well.
A wondergoal from Marcus Rashford had given them a shock lead at the Etihad but quickly they were taken apart by their rivals.
The truth was that the 13-time Premier League champions had just been holding on for dear life with City attempting 27 shots to United’s three.
It was a paltry offering with dismal forays on the counter.
But Ten Hag rallied behind his troops and claimed they were only behind Man City in ‘small margins’.
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An article in The Times has suggested Ten Hag is failing in his attempts to win the Manchester United way.
And when the comments and quotes were put to former Premier League striker Tony Cascarino, he replied damningly: “No, he’s wrong. You are way off.
“You are like a glorified Eredivisie team that doesn’t play in a way that Manchester United should be playing.
“I just don’t see that – and I think that will cost him his job eventually because United have to be a team that literally go after everybody, in their backyard as well. Not going there to defend at Liverpool, at Man City, at Chelsea, or whoever is a good side.
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“United always took the game to you and I think until they get back there [Ten Hag is under pressure]. He doesn’t do that.
“United are more like a counter-attacking team as we saw at the Etihad against Man City – they were second best by a country mile.
“They got a goal lead – a wonderful goal that Rashford scored – but if you take the entirety of the game they were miles off.”
And he added games against their rivals from Merseyside could be make or break for the Dutchman’s tenure at Old Trafford.
“You’ve got Liverpool twice at home in the next couple of weeks,” he continued.
“I think the decision [on Ten Hag’s future] is hanging in the balance. I would imagine if those games go wrong [he could go]. It’s not over 90 minutes, it’s over what they have seen already that they will make the decision on what happens with Ten Hag next season.”