There’s a good chance that Erik ten Hag would not be Manchester United manager right now if he suffered defeat against Aston Villa.
The spotlight was on Erik ten Hag during Manchester United’s 0-0 draw with Aston Villa.
Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe gave Ten Hag two games to try and turn things around and, after a stalemate in Porto, it all came down to Sunday afternoon’s trip to Villa Park.
But Ten Hag once again kept his head above water by avoiding defeat to Villa, and it was clear from the resilient performance that the dressing room is still very much behind him.
Under the most intense pressure, Ten Hag did not shy away from making big decisions. There were three that stood out against Villa, and they may have saved his job.
Faith in Jonny Evans and Harry Maguire
After splashing millions on the defence over the summer, it was a big surprise to see Ten Hag put his faith in Jonny Evans and Harry Maguire at centre-back in what was his most important game of the season.
But it was a decision that turned out to be a stroke of genius. Evans put on a superstar display at Villa Park and Maguire was equally as impressive before he was withdrawn at half-time with an injury.
Ten Hag made the bold decision to drop Lisandro Martinez and Matthijs de Ligt from his starting lineup, despite his close connection to the centre-back duo as former Ajax players.
He clearly did not like what he saw from them both in the 3-3 draw to Porto midweek. A fifth clean sheet of the season for United justified Ten Hag’s defensive changes.
A new role for Diogo Dalot
Diogo Dalot has been one of United’s most consistent performers under Ten Hag, but it was clear that he had started to struggle in recent weeks.
The £19m Portuguese full-back has had to fill in at left-back this season and he put in alarmingly poor performances against Tottenham and Porto last week.
It was suggested that Dalot needed a rest after starting every game for United this season, but Ten Hag found a new way to reignite his form.
Dalot once again played at left-back against Villa, but his role was tweaked so that he did not have so much responsibility to drift into midfield and pick up the ball.
The simpler role suited Dalot and United looked much more organised and solid as a result. Ten Hag adapted when he needed to and it worked brilliantly.
Striking a good midfield balance
The imbalance of United’s midfield has been a talking point since the beginning of last season, and it is something that has never really been fixed.
Ten Hag has tried so many combinations and shapes in midfield to try and get it right, but the Red Devils continue to be cut open through the middle.
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However, there were promising signs from United’s midfield on Sunday with Kobbie Mainoo and Christian Eriksen forming a “really solid” partnership.
Ten Hag decided to drop big-money signings Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte to the bench and United’s midfield looked better for it.
Adding Ugarte to the mix will come with time, but Ten Hag has found a nice balance with Kobbie Mainoo and Christian Eriksen.
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