Alan Shearer explains why he sympathises with Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag

Former Newcastle United and England striker Alan Shearer has admitted that he sympathises with Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag because of the uncertainty surrounding the ownership of the club.

Ten Hag, who was appointed United manager in April 2022, watched his side slump to their third defeat in their opening five Premier League matches on Saturday afternoon, losing 3-1 at home to Brighton & Hove Albion. The Seagulls raced into a three-goal lead before youngster Hannibal Mejbri offered the Reds a glimmer of hope with just over 15 minutes remaining.

It was the worst possible result United could have wished for after a turbulent international break that was dominated by the situations that currently concern Jadon Sancho and Antony. Neither of them were included in Saturday's matchday squad after separate statements were released by the club in the past week.

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United now face the unenviable challenge of travelling to Germany to face Bayern Munich in their Champions League group stage opener on Wednesday night. The Reds are back in Europe's elite club competition after Ten Hag guided them to a very respectable third-placed finish last season.

But all of his hard work in transforming the squad's fortunes is threatening to be undone because of the uncertainty concerning the future of the club's ownership. And for Match of the Day pundit Shearer, issues higher up the chain are bound to impact the Dutchman's work.

Shearer told BBC Sport: "I do have a little bit of sympathy with Ten Hag with all the serious external issues. Everything eventually filters down on the pitch, is it for sale or not for