Erik ten Hag may regret his choice of words. Saying he was not worried about being sacked, the Dutchman declared he was “in the same boat” as Manchester United’s owners.
So, is the ship Ten Hag is talking about the Titanic or some other sinking ship? And if that's the case, Porto will be in for a storm. Leading by 2 goals but in the end, the "Red Devils" had to struggle to snatch a point from their opponents. That means the match against Aston Villa will be decisive. Simply put, if they continue to lose to Villa, there is a high possibility that Ten Hag will have to pack up and leave Old Trafford.
Ten Hag has said that United's slow start to the season is nothing to worry about, and the former Ajax boss is not worried about his position. In fact, Ten Hag would have left last season if it weren't for the FA Cup to restore some confidence.
But even if the United board put their faith in Ten Hag, danger still lurks. Before Ten Hag, there were four other predecessors whose dismissal was a question of when, not if.
However, the 54-year-old could be seen as the first to break that cycle in the summer. Or simply, he is the latest evidence that Man United need time to drag managers down.
Jose Mourinho delayed his own departure by winning away at Juventus, six weeks before he was sacked. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's penultimate game in charge, meanwhile, was a 3-0 win over Tottenham. And perhaps both should have been sacked sooner.
Ten Hag has, in all fairness, had more poor performances in the last 14 months than Solskjaer has in his entire reign, so there is a risk that Ten Hag could become the third successive United manager to leave before Christmas.
Gareth Southgate, a manager much admired by INEOS executives, is being heavily linked. Is it possible that a replacement has been identified, in the same way Mourinho replaced Van Gaal?
With Ruud van Nistelrooy joining the coaching staff, Man United will have an interim coach with a similar personality to Solskjaer. Of course, the sad memories of another interim coach, Ralf Rangnick, will make the M.U board consider.
Man United stunned Man City to win the FA Cup last season, a turning point that gave Ten Hag more time at Old Trafford. But now the "death spiral" for coaches at Old Trafford seems to be repeating itself...
