Erik ten Hag is anticipated to continue as Manchester United’s manager for the upcoming matches against Porto and Aston Villa this week, despite growing pressure on him.
His position is increasingly under scrutiny following a second consecutive 3-0 defeat at home in the Premier League, this time against Tottenham on Sunday.
This loss follows a similar 3-0 setback to Liverpool at Old Trafford four weeks ago, resulting in United failing to score in three of their last four league games. They currently sit 12th in the table, already six points away from the Champions League spots after just six matches.
Manchester United’s poor start to the season has sparked concern at Old Trafford, but it is reported that there are currently no plans for an immediate managerial change. The club hierarchy remains focused on supporting Erik ten Hag, his staff, and the players during this challenging period.
Sporting director Dan Ashworth, chief executive Omar Berrada, technical director Jason Wilcox, and club board director Sir Dave Brailsford were visibly upset in the stands as United struggled against Tottenham. By the final whistle, the stadium was only half full, with frustrated fans leaving in large numbers after Tottenham’s third goal in the 78th minute.
The United executives engaged in serious discussions after the match, which included a review of the game’s performance and outcome, as well as Bruno Fernandes’ controversial sending-off in the 42nd minute. There is speculation on whether United will appeal the red card, given that Fernandes slipped before catching James Maddison with a high boot.
Pressure is mounting on Erik ten Hag, who urgently needs a strong response from his players in their upcoming Europa League match against Porto on Thursday, followed by a Premier League clash at Aston Villa three days later. This will be United’s last game before the international break.
The pressure has intensified following United’s disappointing 1-1 draw against Twente in their opening Europa League match, raising concerns ahead of the trip to Portugal.
Ten Hag has managed to secure just one win in his last nine European matches in charge of United, and they will face a tough challenge against a resurgent Villa side. Villa’s recent 2-2 draw with Ipswich ended a streak of five consecutive wins under Unai Emery.
United’s only goal in their last four league outings came from a 3-0 victory at Southampton, which also included a goalless draw at Crystal Palace. Currently, only Southampton, in 19th place, has scored fewer league goals than United this season, while bottom-placed Wolves have only one more goal with six.
Additionally, United have conceded at least three goals in eight of their last 29 matches, dating back to a 4-3 win over Wolves in early February.
Under Erik ten Hag, Manchester United’s spending has surpassed £600 million this summer with the acquisitions of Joshua Zirkzee, Manuel Ugarte, Matthijs de Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui, and Leny Yoro. However, many of the issues that affected an injury-plagued squad last season persist.
At the end of last season, United spoke with several managers, including Thomas Tuchel, Roberto De Zerbi, Thomas Frank, and Marco Silva, before deciding to retain Ten Hag’s position after their FA Cup victory and a two-and-a-half-week internal review.
The club activated an option to extend Ten Hag’s contract by another year, pushing it to June 2026. However, their poor start to the new campaign has sparked renewed concerns about his future.
In response to the disappointing loss to Spurs, Ten Hag stated that he is not worried about being sacked.
“No, I am not thinking about this. We all made the decision to stay together, as ownership and as a leadership group in the summer,” he said.
He emphasized that they had conducted a thorough review to identify areas for improvement within the organization and how to build the squad moving forward.
“But we knew it would take time due to the way the [summer transfer] window unfolded, with some players arriving late, like [Manuel] Ugarte. We also need to improve our organization and address ongoing injuries,” Ten Hag added.
“We are all on the same page—ownership, leadership group, staff, and players. I don’t have that concern.”
In the aftermath of Manchester United’s dismal performance against Spurs, a number of former players turned pundits are questioning how long Erik ten Hag can hold onto his position.
Robbie Savage, the former Blackburn and Wales midfielder, stated, “I think they’ve got to make a big decision this week – I think his time might be up.”
Chris Sutton, the former England striker, echoed this sentiment, noting, “That’s the type of performance which gets the manager the sack.”
Jamie Redknapp was equally critical, saying, “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. He has already had enough time, and 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 suggested that the players should hold a “crisis meeting” this week, with Neville emphasizing the need for the coaching staff to regain control of the dressing room quickly.
Neville, who is part of the Old Trafford task force commissioned by co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe to explore stadium options, warned that the pressure on Ten Hag could become overwhelming.
“The pressure is going to get ramped up this week—it is going to be brutal,” he 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.”
Having witnessed enough turmoil at Manchester United over the past decade, Neville recognized the urgency for Ten Hag to rectify the situation swiftly. “The snowball starts to roll down that hill and it gathers pace. Erik ten Hag has got to stop it at source right now because this is a shocking day, a sobering day.”
