The pressure is well and truly on and the next two games seem like make-or-break for Erik ten Hag after the latest defeat at home to Tottenham.
With away trips to FC Porto and Aston Villa in the pipeline, the fixture list isn’t getting any easier and it seems like the support from the rafters is dwindling too.
Erik ten Hag remains as loud as ever in the defence of his tenure, but the Old Trafford crowd became restless during the Tottenham game and a tide seems to have turned.
Many fans and pundits who backed Ten Hag to turn things around are having second thoughts and for Rio Ferdinand, the frustration is palpable.
Forever the optimist, this time, Ferdinand talked about the myriad of issues at United, with the main one being the manager’s inability to improve players at the club, with only one success story putting it on stark display.
Rio Ferdinand on only player improving under Ten Hag
Since arriving at the club for the 2022/23 season, Ten Hag has overseen a spending of more than £600 million which has led to the current team mostly being his own.
The players who preceded him at this point are all bonafide favourites (Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford, or Diogo Dalot, for example) or good squad members he relies upon regularly (Harry Maguire).
Therefore, the project with Ten Hag at the helm can no longer be justified as saying it is in its early stages, especially in Ferdinand’s view, where he states only one player can be marked as “improved” under his leadership.
Ferdinand said on his YouTube channel Rio Ferdinand Presents: “I was one of those who wasn’t saying, ‘get rid’ [of Ten Hag]. All I was saying what was common last season was a repeat record of all the time.
“I don’t see a style of football and that’s the biggest concern because Ineos have come in and said they want a style of play and the manager has to implement that.
“I can’t say confidently that this manager is the guy who will get us playing a style of play consistently. He might get one game here or there which he’s shown so far.
“Not only are we not playing a style of football consistently, but the manager is there to improve the players too. The club is recruiting players to play a particular style of football. I can’t say confidently he’s gonna be able to do that.
“Diogo Dalot is probably the only player I’ve seen improve under Erik ten Hag, Amad maybe this season but that’s it.”
Breaking down Ferdinand’s claim
Ferdinand’s claim that Diogo Dalot has improved massively under Ten Hag is undeniably true. He was a fringe player at best under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer but he’s come on leaps and bounds to effectively finish Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s United career.
Under Ten Hag, he has been the undeniable success story and there’s a case to be made that he’s the only one.
From players who were already at the club, Marcus Rashford had the best season of his career under the Dutchman in 2022/23 but that looks more exception than the rule currently.
Moreover, he was doing better consistently under Solskjaer when he was even younger and less polished so that can’t be down to Ten Hag.
Then there’s Fernandes and Maguire, one of whom has been a constant success since arrival and the latter who has struggled to reach those same heights he did under the Norwegian.
United’s best performers have all been proven commodities except for Dalot so Ferdinand’s claim has a lot of strength in it.
It is a damning indictment of Ten Hag’s tenure if that is the case in his third season at the club.
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
