Manchester United’s leadership continues to back Erik ten Hag despite the team’s disappointing 3-0 loss to Tottenham in their latest Premier League match. Although the result was viewed as unacceptable by those within the club, there are no immediate plans to part ways with the Dutch manager. Ten Hag retains the board’s support, with the focus still on providing the necessary backing to both the manager and the team as they try to regain their form.
This backing comes even after a string of concerning results, including back-to-back 3-0 home defeats, first against Liverpool and then Tottenham. The pressure is mounting as Manchester United’s performance, particularly in attack, has been underwhelming, with the team failing to score in three of their last four league games. Despite these setbacks, club executives are not currently planning a managerial change. Ten Hag is expected to remain in charge for the crucial upcoming fixtures against Porto in the Champions League and Aston Villa in the Premier League, both of which will be broadcast live.
Internally, there was a belief that United had been making progress in key areas, especially with improvements in both their attacking and defensive metrics. However, old habits—such as a failure to press effectively and being too easy for opponents to break down—continue to undermine the team’s overall performance. These recurring issues have only intensified the pressure on Ten Hag, whose position is becoming increasingly scrutinized.
Manchester United’s current standing in the Premier League adds to the concern. The team now sits 12th in the table, already six points away from a Champions League spot after just six matches. Only Southampton, currently 19th in the league, has struggled more to find the back of the net. These troubling stats make the forthcoming fixtures against a strong Porto side and an in-form Aston Villa, who are on a four-match unbeaten run, all the more critical for Ten Hag’s future.
Erik ten Hag Retains Manchester United Support Amid Recent Poor Results
In addition to these domestic challenges, Ten Hag’s record in European competitions has been far from impressive. United have managed just one win in their last nine continental matches, which adds to the growing apprehension ahead of their trip to Portugal. The upcoming week could very well prove pivotal in determining whether Ten Hag remains the club’s long-term solution.
It’s worth noting that Ten Hag has faced similar moments of crisis in the past. He narrowly avoided losing his job on a few occasions, most notably after guiding the team to an FA Cup victory, his second major trophy since joining the club. After the FA Cup win, Manchester United conducted an internal review where they held discussions with several high-profile managerial candidates, including Thomas Tuchel, Roberto De Zerbi, Mauricio Pochettino, Kieran McKenna, and Thomas Frank. Despite these talks, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Sir Dave Brailsford eventually chose to stick with Ten Hag and extended his contract by 12 months.
The fact that the club openly engaged with other managerial candidates, however, raised questions about their complete faith in Ten Hag. This decision has led to increased speculation and placed more pressure on him during the difficult phases of this season. Nevertheless, ahead of the loss to Liverpool earlier in the month, United’s leadership reiterated their belief that Ten Hag is the right man for the job, despite the fact that key figures such as sporting director Dan Ashworth and CEO Omar Berrada were not directly involved in the decision to retain him following the season review.
Ten Hag, for his part, has remained calm under the growing scrutiny. After Sunday’s defeat, when asked about his future, he confidently replied, “No, I am not thinking about this,” signaling that he is not overly concerned about his position for the time being.
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