Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag appears to be keeping his job despite a disappointing three-nil loss to Tottenham over the weekend. The defeat to Tottenham was United’s second straight three-nil loss at Old Trafford, putting the Dutchman under intense pressure. However, the club’s executives do not seem to be in a search for a new manager.
United made a very poor showing against Tottenham, with Spurs taking an early lead through a Brennan Johnson goal. The Red Devils’ captain Bruno Fernandes was sent off just before halftime, putting the team in a worse situation. Dejan Kulusebski and Dominic Solanke compounded United’s woes with a goal each in the second half, leaving ten Hag’s team in 12th place on the league table with only seven points from six games.
The game against Spurs is only the latest in a series of disappointing outings for the 20-time league champions. In eight games across all competitions this season, the team has managed only three wins, leaving the fans and management frustrated. Notwithstanding, ten Hag remains confident and focused on carrying out his role. Responding to a question about the security of his job, he said, “I am not considering this.” He maintained that it was a collective decision with the upper tiers of the club’s management to embark on a youth-centric project, knowing fully well it would take time to reap the desired results. He conceded, however, that there is room for improvement by the squad despite battling with injuries.
United’s new ownership has invested a great amount of trust in ten Hag, offering him a new deal last summer despite an overhaul in other areas of the club. Besides, United have a culture of patiently sticking with managers and Sir Jim Ratcliffe has acknowledged that the club’s problem is not just about the team management, as no manager has done excellently well since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure in 2013.
The Red Devils are set to face FC Porto and Aston Villa this week. The manager needs to display his ability to obtain results, as a continuation of the team’s current form may inevitably lead to his job termination.
