Gary Neville has expressed that history is repeating itself at Manchester United amid Erik ten Hag’s struggles this season.

The Red Devils failed to win for the fourth straight Premier League match, in a disappointing 2-2 draw away at Bournemouth.

It is a result that leaves them ten points off fifth-placed Tottenham – which could potentially be the final Champions League qualification spot – with six games left to play.

Manchester United legend Neville told Sky Sports that Ten Hag’s situation is similar to previous bosses like Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, where there was a ‘breakdown’ towards the end of their respective spells in the Old Trafford dugout.

Asked about United’s struggles on Sunday, Neville said: ‘There’s nothing more to say we’ve seen it all before. It’s a repeat of what’s happened over the last six, seven, eight years with managers in their second or third seasons at Manchester United where there seems to be that breakdown at the end.

‘The main thing is the performance levels and we’ve seen at Brentford, we’ve now seen at Bournemouth, they are really low performance levels which is a worry.’

Much has been made of Manchester United’s injury crisis this season, though Neville has dismissed that this should have any impact on their recent results.

He added: ‘I know people point towards the injuries and Manchester United have had a mountain of injuries but I said the same against Liverpool, nine of that team that started yesterday would probably be in the starting XI if everyone was fit.

‘(Andre) Onana, (Harry) Maguire, (Diogo) Dalot, Casemiro, (Kobbie) Mainoo, Bruno Fernandes and (Rasmus) Hojlund, (Alejandro) Garnacho and (Marcus) Rashford.

‘Those are nine players, who are Manchester United’s best players in those positions. You bring in Luke Shaw and you bring in Martinez, can possibly argue between (Raphael) Varane and Maguire but there’s nothing in it.

‘They have had lots if injuries but at the moment there’s no excuses for the levels of the performances we’re seeing and every team has one or two players missing at certain points.

‘There’s no explanation for how they are playing. The anger, or disappointment has gone out of many Manchester United fans’ voices. We’ve got to a point where the FA Cup is a big thing.

‘Winning a trophy two seasons in a row should never be sniffed at.  You’ve always said winning a trophy a season is a real achievement.

‘But it is a bizarre experience watching Man United how bad they can be in games. Watching the Liverpool game where parts they played well and parts they didn’t play well and the inconsistency is rife. I’m saying the same thing every single week, all Manchester United fans are, they have just got to try get to the end of the season and win the FA Cup which is not going to be easy.’

Manchester United’s performances have declined this season, after Ten Hag guided the Red Devils to a third place finish in his first campaign.

Pressure on his future at the club has ramped up since Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS bought a stake in the club back in December, with speculation that they would like to bring a new manager in the dugout as they make many changes behind the scenes.

With a Champions League qualification spot appearing to look unlikely, the Red Devils – who slipped to seventh behind Newcastle at the weekend – now will set their sights on the FA Cup.

He later said on the Gary Neville Podcast: ‘They have to win next weekend as the season will be over if they didn’t do and Erik ten Hag has got to look at this season whereby he could finish his first two seasons with two trophies in the bank, one in each season.

‘That should never be sniffed at. There’s nothing left to say about some of the league performances we’re seeing and some of the things we’re watching the tweets and the likes we’ve said it so many times before and there’s no point going over that again.

‘But what we can say is that Erik ten Hag’s future is largely dependent on the FA Cup, as their performances in the league are gone they are not going to change now what we are seeing is how they will finish the season it seems like the players have switched off away from home at times.

‘At home they have to turn on as there’s 75,000 people who won’t allow them to get away with it. The Man United fans they never stop away from home and they are watching some really dodgy stuff. They never turn against the team or manager and they have been dealt with some right guff. But the FA Cup is everything.’

More to follow…