Why Erik ten Hag is backed by Man Utd for now despite mounting pressure

Erik ten Hag is set to continue as Manchester United’s manager for their upcoming matches against Porto and Aston Villa this week, despite increasing scrutiny following the team’s disappointing performance.

United’s troubles deepened after a second consecutive 3-0 home defeat in the Premier League, this time against Tottenham.

This loss follows a similar defeat to Liverpool at Old Trafford four weeks prior, leaving United in 12th place in the league and six points adrift of the Champions League spots after just six matches.

The team has failed to score in three of their last four league games.

Despite the turmoil, the club hierarchy has no immediate plans for a managerial change.

Instead, they are focused on supporting Ten Hag, his staff, and the players during this challenging period.

Sporting director Dan Ashworth, chief executive Omar Berrada, technical director Jason Wilcox, and club board director Sir Dave Brailsford were notably disheartened in the stands as United struggled against Spurs, with many fans leaving before the final whistle.

After the match, the United executives engaged in discussions, reviewing not only the team’s performance but also Bruno Fernandes’ controversial sending-off in the 42nd minute.

It remains uncertain whether United will appeal the red card, given that Fernandes slipped before catching James Maddison with a high boot.

The pressure is mounting on Ten Hag, who needs a strong response from his players in Thursday’s Europa League match against Porto and the following Premier League fixture at Aston Villa, which will be their final game before the international break.

A dismal 1-1 draw at home against Twente in their opening Europa League match has only intensified the scrutiny ahead of the trip to Portugal.

Ten Hag has won just one of his last nine European matches in charge of United, who will face a resurgent Aston Villa side next.

Villa’s recent 2-2 draw against Ipswich ended a streak of five consecutive victories under Unai Emery.

United’s only goal in their last four league outings came from a 3-0 victory over Southampton, which also included a goalless draw against Crystal Palace.

They currently have the second-fewest goals in the league, trailing only 19th-placed Southampton. Bottom club Wolves, with six goals, have netted one more.

The team has conceded three or more goals in eight of their last 29 matches, dating back to a 4-3 win over Wolves in early February.

This summer, the club spent over £600 million under Ten Hag, bringing in players such as Joshua Zirkzee, Manuel Ugarte, Matthijs de Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui, and Leny Yoro.

However, many of the issues that plagued an injury-stricken side last season persist.

At the end of last season, United interviewed several managers, including Thomas Tuchel, Roberto De Zerbi, Thomas Frank, and Marco Silva, before opting to retain Ten Hag following their FA Cup triumph and a two-and-a-half-week internal review.

They triggered a 12-month extension in his contract, which now runs until June 2026. However, the club’s poor start to the new season has raised new doubts about his future.

After the defeat to Spurs, Ten Hag stated that he does not fear being sacked.

“No, I am not thinking about this. We all made this decision to stay together, as an ownership, as a leadership group in the summer,” Erik Ten Hag said.

“Also we made the decision from a clear review what we have to improve as an organisation and how we want to construct a squad.

“But we knew it will take some time because of how the [summer transfer] window went, some players late in like [Manuel] Ugarte.

“Also we have to make some improvement in organisation, we still have some injuries, we need some time.

“We are all on one page or in one boat together – the ownership, the leadership group, the staff and the players as well. I don’t have that concern.”

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