Manchester United have been told to hire former player Mark Robins as Erik ten Hag's successor if the Dutchman leaves Old Trafford.

The former Ajax boss is under pressure at Old Trafford this season with United regressing badly from last term which saw them finish third and win the Carabao Cup. The Red Devils currently sit sixth, having finished bottom of their Champions League group whilst also narrowly avoiding an FA Cup semi-final exit to Coventry City earlier this month.

Pressure on Ten Hag has increased ever more so since new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his Ineos group completed a 25 per cent takeover of United, with their aim to transform the club's footballing operations. Omar Berrada will arrive as United's new CEO in the summer, with Jason Wilcox already joining as technical director. Dan Ashworth is also being targeted as sporting director.

And former Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew has made a surprise suggestion as to who United should look towards if Ten Hag leaves. He believes current Coventry boss and former striker Robins should be considered by Ineos.

“I have got a gaffer for you,” he said on talkSPORT. “Are you ready? He is not an international, he has not won the Dutch league, he has not won the French league, he is an old player of yours, he has done brilliant for four seasons, he almost beat you in the semi-final – Mark Robins.

“There you go. Get him in. He will do you a job, I tell you.”

The Sky Blues have overachieved for much of Robins' tenure at the CBS Arena with the club entering administration just 10 years ago. Coventry have since risen from League Two to the Championship and were penalty kicks away from the Premier League in last season's playoff final against Luton Town.

Robins has been at the helm since 2017 and was within a VAR whisker of sending his old club crashing out of the FA Cup after a stunning fightback earlier this month. The 54-year-old is a former United Academy graduate, famously scoring a vital goal in the FA Cup third round win over Nottingham Forest with Sir Alex Ferguson's job on the line.