Following Manchester United’s calamitous 3-0 defeat at home Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, Erik Ten Hag’s position seems increasingly untenable.
In what is Manchester United’s worst start to a season in recent history, the most damaging part to Ten Hag’s position will surely be that the loss to Spurs can hardly be termed an anomaly. While the early season loss away to Brighton could be seen as unlucky, the similarly lacklustre performance, which saw United slump to an also 3-0 home defeat to arch-rivals Liverpool, reflected that the team’s problems run still deeper.
Ten Hag, has, in recent press conferences, been quick to deflect criticism of his team’s results, often reasoning that his successes in cup competitions are the ultimate indicator of the overall positive trajectory Manchester United are going in, implicitly on behalf of his management.
However, trophies seem to have all but papered over the cracks for Ten Hag. United’s League Cup success in 2023 was followed just a week later by a 7-0 thrashing at the hands of Liverpool, while the club’s FA cup success in May has not exactly been followed by an inspired start to the new season.
Ten Hag insists the Red Devils have “nothing to panic about” despite their poor start to the season, but the statistics, fans and the board are likely to say otherwise.
United’s only wins so far this campaign in all competitions have been against Fulham, Southampton and Barnsley. Even though they were victorious in the FA cup last season, the club doesn’t exactly seem to be on all that upwards trajectory from its eighth placed finish in May.
A busy summer saw the acquiring of new star signings including defender Matthijs De Ligt, midfielder Manuel Ugarte and young striker Joshua Zirkzee. However, Zirkzee has been struggling to convert opportunities, while Manchester United’s defense has appeared leakier than ever.
Ten Hag is already on thin ice, but, with away fixtures at Porto and Aston Villa in the next week, the coming days could prove pivotal for his position.
Despite receiving a contract extension in the summer, Manchester United players may well return home after the international break without the Dutchman in charge.
Illustration provided by Regan Donovan