The headline feels straight out of the 2023/24 season where every week seemed like a wait for a weekend defeat but it’s poetic because the performance vs Tottenham was straight out of 2023/24 as well.
The empty midfield, the chaotic pressing, the easy turnovers, the frustration of trailing, and an antsy Old Trafford crowd, it was the perfect cocktail of a disaster.
That is the kind of performance that gets the manager sacked, and it had shades of Manchester United‘s defeat at Watford which drew the curtains on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s time at the club.
Ten Hag has repeatedly spoken about the two trophies he’s won which is in direct contrast to Solskjaer’s preachings, and the mitigating factor of last season- injuries, is no longer applicable.
Moreover, his point of young players needing time to gel falls flat when teams like Brighton and Tottenham, with their managers being even newer to the job than him, do one over the club.
Having considered all that, Sir Jim Ratcliffe‘s immediate stance in the wake of the 0-3 result has emerged.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe on Erik ten Hag’s future
It was only a few weeks ago that United’s new executive structure gave a statement of confidence backing the manager for a long-term project.
That came in the wake of a tumultuous summer when Ineos openly talked to prospective candidates but arrived at the conclusion that Ten Hag was their man.
It has led to Ineos being backed into a corner, as the face they would lose after going back on that decision after just six league games would point to a team unsure of themselves.
That hasn’t stopped fans from demanding a change and something clearly turned after the Tottenham defeat.
Amidst all that, The Athletic reports that there is still no immediate appetite to relieve Ten Hag of his duties but that comes with an asterisk.
The report states that with away games to come at Porto and Aston Villa, a similar display in those two will crank up the pressure on the manager ‘severely’.
It is worth noting that Porto are yet to lose at home this season, while Aston Villa’s only home loss has come vs Arsenal and it’s not a ground United have enjoyed themselves at much in recent years.
Optics vs Action
As noted above, Ineos have backed themselves into an unforgiving corner with their summer exploits and then eventually extending Ten Hag’s contract.
They are stuck in a battle of “optics vs action”, as they might be delaying the inevitable (sacking Ten Hag) because of how bad it would look just a few months after effectively admitting nobody on the market matches up to him.
That is complicated further since the coaching market hasn’t changed since then, even shrinking, as Mauricio Pochettino has committed to the USA national team.
Of course, they have Ruud van Nistelrooy in the ranks but the longer this run of results goes on, the higher the chances of his own reputation getting “corrupted” due to being a part of this coaching team.
When Solskjaer arrived, he benefitted from being an outside force free of all the burden and toxicity of the previous Mourinho regime.
That won’t be the case for Nistelrooy so that’s not a straightforward appointment.
The clock is ticking and the next two games are crucial but then again, perhaps this decision should have already been made in the summer.
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