Erik ten Hag is a manager under pressure at Manchester United after a retched performance against Tottenham.
If Tottenham were more clinical in taking their chances, they could quite easily have left Old Trafford with a 5-0 win.
As it was, a 3-0 victory was humiliating enough considering how badly Manchester United performed – even when there were 11 men.
We are holding Erik ten Hag directly responsible for the mess of a performance his team served up. There are no excuses.
Erik ten Hag’s three biggest excuses
Erik ten Hag has been able to hide behind various excuses during his time at Manchester United, some with good reason. And now, none of them really carry any weight.
‘He needs time’… Erik ten Hag is now in his third season at Manchester United and there is no coherent game plan. His only hope against Tottenham was to try and hit them on the break.
We have seen this season how Enzo Maresca has made an immediate impact at Chelsea, and Arne Slot at Liverpool. Last season we saw it with Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham.
Ten Hag’s side lack a real identity, from game to game it is chaos, with players stifled in his system, and rapidly losing confidence.
‘No structure behind the scenes’… For years the Glazers‘ malign presence was a legitimate excuse for Manchester United’s managers, including Erik ten Hag.
Ineos have come in and ripped up the structure, removing the hapless duo of John Murtough and Richard Arnold, appointing a team of experts.
In the transfer window United delivered Ten Hag’s targets for fair prices, and there is improved organisation behind the scenes with Dan Ashworth, Omar Berrada and Jason Wilcox appointed.
This only serves to now raise the pressure on the increasingly hapless manager, with performances and results going backwards instead of forward.
‘Players are injured’… Last season’s injury crisis had a devastating impact on the season. Manchester United cannot hide behind the same excuse this time around.
While Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia remain out injured, United have settled on a temporary solution and Erik ten Hag chose not to sign a left-back despite knowing their track records.
Aside from this, United’s injuries this season are nothing out of the ordinary. At the weekend it was Tottenham who were missing their star player, Heung-Min Son.
Ten Hag’s United were almost at full-strength, and the manager’s decision making is under the spotlight.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 9 |  BrightonBrighton | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 9 |
| 10 |  Nottm ForestNottingham Forest | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 9 |
| 11 |  BrentfordBrentford | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 10 | -2 | 7 |
| 12 |  Man UtdManchester United | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 8 | -3 | 7 |
| 13 |  B’mouthBournemouth | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 8 | -3 | 5 |
| 14 |  West HamWest Ham | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 10 | -4 | 5 |
Nowhere for Ten Hag to hide
Manchester United’s results this season have not been good enough, and the team languish in the bottom half of the Premier League table.
Any underlying improvements in performance have been negated by the team’s inability to put the ball in the back of the net. United have failed to score in three of the past four Premier League matches..
With all of Ten Hag’s excuses gone, or now simply no longer relevant, the pressure is increasing on the manager.
Ineos did some due diligence on potential replacements for Erik ten Hag in the summer, and while they did not pull the trigger then, the Dutchman is beginning to leave them with little option.
Manchester United supporters are losing faith, and it might not be long before the dressing room follows.
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
