Man Utd face paying huge fee to sack Erik ten Hag ahead of Newcastle Carabao Cup clash

United beat the same opponents 2-0 to win the competition back in February, with Casemiro and Marcus Rashford on target.

But they've regressed ever since the beginning of the current campaign and look a far cry from their old selves.

Ten Hag goes into the match knowing the pressure is rising on his shoulders, even if United insist his job is safe.

And the Daily Mirror say that, if the Red Devils are forced to wield the axe, they'll have to pay a sizeable fee of £15m to the 53-year-old.

Ten Hag is contracted to the club until 2025 and pockets £9m a year.

The Glazers would need to pay up the Dutchman's guaranteed salary - before then turning their attention to his coaching staff.

United have spent over £38m on sacking managers in the years since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement a decade ago.

​David Moyes was the first to be given the job, having previously worked wonders at Everton.

But players never took to the Scot and he was dismissed after just 10 months in the dugout after United failed to qualify for the Champions League.

Moyes left with a payout of £7m, with Ryan Giggs then installed as his temporary replacement.

Back in 2014, United expected big things when they appointed Louis van Gaal.

But while he won the FA Cup during his time in charge, the club sacked him in 2016 after they'd finished fifth in the Premier League table.

​United gave £8.4m to Van Gaal after his sacking, with Jose Mourinho drafted in as his A-list replacement.

Initially, the club performed well under the Portuguese.

They won the Community Shield in his first competitive game before claiming Europa League and EFL Cup glory in 2017.

But the club put Mourinho out of his misery the following year, paying him £15m as compensation.

United, for a while, ticked along under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

However, like his predecessors, he was unable to avoid the axe.

Solskjaer departed his role in November 2021, just months after he had signed a new contract with the club.

The Glazers coughed up £7.5m for the Norwegian in compensation and he's not returned to management in the time since.

Writing for United's official matchday programme prior to the match with Newcastle, meanwhile, Ten Hag has warned his players there will be no second chances if they succumb to another defeat.

“As we welcome Eddie Howe and Newcastle United to Old Trafford, our focus moves back to the Carabao Cup and a reminder of how well we did to win this competition last season," he said.

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“Our game management throughout that cup run, especially in the final against Newcastle, showed our ability to rise to big occasions – and Wednesday night is definitely another big occasion for us.

“We always want to do as well as we possibly can in every competition we enter.

"We know how good it feels to lift this trophy and, as holders, we want to get back to Wembley Stadium again this season and defend the Carabao Cup.

“Against a strong opponent, we know that we will have to be at our very best if we want to progress in this competition.

“This is cup football and there is no second chance if we don’t perform on the night.”

He added: “At Manchester United, every game involves high stakes.

“Every single day, there is pressure on everybody involved with this club, but those demands and standards are a challenge which we must always meet head-on.

“While this has not been the start to the season that we had all hoped for, I am certain that we have the talent and attitude as a collective to move in the right direction.

“I believe that it is only a matter of time before we are showing our true selves. It will come, I am certain.”