Erik ten Hag's future at Old Trafford is in more doubt than ever as Manchester United suffer their worst ever start to a Premier League campaign.
Thomas Tuchel and Gareth Southgate are the frontrunners to succeed Ten Hag at Man United. Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his football operations team are said to want a change of manager and a new voice in the dressing room.
But with both of them out of the picture, Ten Hag can breathe a sigh of relief. Of course, the Dutchman knows that he needs an immediate improvement in results if he wants to keep his job long term.
United have seven games - four in the Premier League, two in the Europa League and one in the Carabao Cup - between now and November's FIFA Days. And that run could decide Ten Hag's fate, although two candidates to replace him have now been ruled out.
Ratcliffe spoke to Tuchel about taking over at United this summer, when the pair were in talks at Monaco. However, Tuchel decided to turn down the Old Trafford job, keeping Ten Hag alive, at least for now.
Will the Red Devils regret not pursuing Tuchel more aggressively now that he is in charge of England? Perhaps, but with the 51-year-old coach deciding to end talks with United, there is little Ratcliffe and the club's board can do.
However, for Ten Hag, he cannot escape the pressure to improve results immediately. Starting with the reception of Brentford at Old Trafford.
Next up is a trip to Istanbul to face Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahce. The former Manchester United manager will be keen to prove his former club are still a capable manager despite being sacked by the Red Devils nearly six years ago.
Ten Hag's next seven important games include two meetings with Leicester, one in the Premier League and the other in the Carabao Cup, as well as Premier League games against West Ham and Chelsea and a home Europa League game against PAOK Salonika.
Ten Hag's immediate concern is this weekend's game against Brentford. The Men's coach Thomas Frank has been heavily linked with the Man United job.
The Dane is a serious contender if Ten Hag is sacked, and the Old Trafford game will be where both managers will need to prove their worth. Last season, United needed two stoppage-time goals from Scott McTominay to beat Brentford at Old Trafford.
