Gary Lineker has rejected Manchester United’s hopes of securing a top-four spot following their 1-1 draw with Brentford and expresses his support for his former club's Tottenham to secure Champions League qualification.
Erik ten Hag was hoping that United’s thrilling FA Cup victory over Liverpool would mark a turning point for his team before their match at the Gtech Community Stadium on the weekend.
However, the Red Devils delivered a lackluster, and all too familiar, performance against Thomas Frank’s team and only managed to secure a point in west London after Kristoffer Ajer equalized Mason Mount’s goal in a frenzied period of injury time.
This result leaves United stuck in sixth place in the Premier League standings, 11 points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa, and their prospects of qualifying for the Champions League seem remote as they prepare for their Thursday night clash with Chelsea.
This leaves Ten Hag’s future in serious uncertainty, with the Dutchman’s position likely to be dependent on United’s success, or lack thereof, in the FA Cup, with the club reportedly considering Gareth Southgate as a potential replacement.
Reflecting on United’s recent disappointment on The Rest Is Football podcast, former England and Tottenham Hotspur striker Lineker highlighted the team’s lack of consistency throughout the season.
‘I don’t think United will secure the fourth spot now, dropping points against Brentford,’ Lineker commented when predicting who will claim fourth place.
‘Of course, I’m really hoping for Spurs, nothing against Aston Villa fans, but I never scored at that place and I played for Tottenham so I’ll be backing them. However, I think it could be close.
‘As for United, they have shown no consistency at all.
‘One outstanding performance, where they attack aggressively and play superbly against Liverpool and then the next game they are completely dominated.’
Former England and Newcastle forward Alan Shearer, the Premier League’s all-time leading goalscorer, stated that Ten Hag’s ‘unpredictable’ United team had ‘no chance’ of securing a top-four spot.
‘United won't finish fourth, no chance. They won't finish fourth. For me, it’s Spurs!’ he remarked.
‘United are unpredictable and you just never know what you’re going to get from them.
‘They were dreadful against Brentford, they were terrible.’
Lineker is optimistic that Mount can use his goal against Brentford as a platform after facing a particularly challenging start to his Old Trafford career in midfield.
‘I admire Mason Mount and I always believed he was an incredibly talented young player with an exceptional work ethic,’ Lineker added.
‘I think he was among several players who struggled when Chelsea hit a rough patch, and that can impact players in different ways.
‘He moved to United and it hasn’t quite worked out for him mainly due to injury, I believe, but there is a player in there. I’m telling you, there is a player in there.’
.
.
