Erik ten Hag backed by Man Utd for now despite mounting pressure

Though concern within club is rife, executives will continue to support Ten Hag ahead of key matches against Porto and Aston Villa this week

Erik ten Hag is expected to remain in charge for Manchester United’s games against Porto and Aston Villa this week amid growing pressure on the beleaguered manager.
Ten Hag’s position is under intense scrutiny after United slumped to a second successive 3-0 Premier League home defeat on Sunday, when they were thumped by Tottenham.
It followed a similar drubbing by Liverpool at Old Trafford four weeks ago and means United have now failed to score in three of their past four league games and currently sit 12th in the table, already six points off the Champions League places after just six matches.
United’s start to the season has caused consternation within Old Trafford but it is understood that there are no plans for an immediate change of manager and the hierarchy’s focus is on supporting Ten Hag, his staff and the players at a difficult juncture.
Sporting director Dan Ashworth, chief executive Omar Berrada, technical director Jason Wilcox and club board director Sir Dave Brailsford, the Ineos director of sport, sat glum-faced in the stands as United were pulled apart by Spurs. The stadium was only half full by the final whistle as disgruntled fans left in droves after Tottenham’s third goal in the 78th minute.
The quartet of United executives were deep in conversation after the game but they have debriefs after all matches, with Bruno Fernandes’ controversial 42nd minute sending off also a topic of discussion in addition to the performance and result. It remains to be seen if United opt to appeal the red card after Fernandes slipped before catching James Maddison on a leg with a high boot.
The pressure on Ten Hag is building, though, and the Dutchman needs a swift reaction from his players away to Porto in the Europa League on Thursday and then at Aston Villa in the Premier League three days later in United’s final game before the next international break.
United’s dismal 1-1 draw at home to Twente in their opening Europa League match has added to the pressure ahead of the visit to Portugal.
Ten Hag has won just one of his past nine European matches in charge of United, who must then face an in-form Villa side. Villa’s 2-2 draw against Ipswich on Sunday ended a run of five consecutive wins for Unai Emery’s side.
United’s 3-0 win at Southampton is the only time they have got on the scoresheet in their last four league outings, which includes a goalless draw at Crystal Palace. Only Southampton, in 19th, have scored fewer goals than United in the league this season. Bottom club Wolves, with six, have scored one more.
They have also now conceded at least three times in eight of their last 29 matches dating back to a 4-3 win over Wolves at the start of February.
The club took their total spending under Ten Hag to more than £600 million this summer with the signings of Joshua Zirkzee, Manuel Ugarte, Matthijs de Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui and Leny Yoro but many of the flaws that plagued an injury-ravaged side last season remain.
United spoke to half a dozen managers, including Thomas Tuchel, Roberto De Zerbi, Thomas Frank and Marco Silva, at the end of last season before deciding to keep faith with Ten Hag following their FA Cup triumph and a two and a half week internal review.
The club ended up triggering an option in Ten Hag’s contract to extend his deal by a further 12 months to June 2026 but United’s torrid start to the new campaign has raised fresh doubts about his future.
Ten Hag insisted after the Spurs debacle that he did not fear being sacked.
“No, I am not thinking about this. We all made this decision to stay together, as an ownership, as a leadership group in the summer,” Ten Hag said.
“Also we made the decision from a clear review what we have to improve as an organisation and how we want to construct a squad.
“But we knew it will take some time because of how the [summer transfer] window went, some players late in like [Manuel] Ugarte. Also we have to make some improvement in organisation, we still have some injuries, we need some time.
“We are all on one page or in one boat together – the ownership, the leadership group, the staff and the players as well. I don’t have that concern.”
Nonetheless, a host of former players turned pundits were lining up in the wake of the Spurs capitulation to question how long Ten Hag can cling to his job.
“I think they’ve got to make a big decision this week – I think his time might be up,” former Blackburn and Wales midfielder Robbie Savage said.
Chris Sutton, the former England striker, said: “That’s the type of performance which gets the manager the sack.”
Jamie Redknapp was similarly scathing. “I just don’t see how he [Ten Hag] can keep his job. He looks completely lost and I don’t know how he can turn it around,” the former Liverpool midfielder said.
“He has already had enough time. I just don’t see how he is the man to take it forward – the only problem is I don’t know who is, it’s such a difficult job.”
Former United captains Gary Neville and Ashley Young said the United players should hold a “crisis meeting” this week. Neville added that the coaching staff needed to “get a grip of that dressing room very quickly”.
Neville – who is part of the Old Trafford task force commissioned by co owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe to explore stadium options – suggested the pressure on Ten Hag could become intolerable.
“The pressure is going to get ramped up this week – it is going to be brutal,” Neville said. “It was an absolutely disgusting performance in effort and quality and there are a lot of questions to answer from that group in the next week.
“I’ve been here at Man Utd enough over the past 10 to 12 years to know that a game and a result like this needs reversing rather quickly.
“The snowball starts to roll down that hill and it gathers apace. Erik ten Hag has got to stop it at source right now because this is a shocking day, a sobering day.”