Manchester United is currently ranked 13th in the Premier League after 6 rounds, 6 points behind the Champions League group. Notably, they have not scored in 3/4 of their most recent matches in the tournament. And only Southampton - the 19th-placed team - have a worse attack than the "Red Devils" this season.
The disastrous defeat to Tottenham was the latest defeat in a series of terrible performances by Man United. In addition, there were also 0-7 losses to Liverpool, 0-4 to Crystal Palace and Brentford. It was a huge humiliation for a famous team like Man United. So, how long will coach Erik ten Hag last at Old Trafford?
The problem for Man United was the lack of cohesion and consistency in playing style. This has been happening again in previous seasons, not just once. Man United's board once aimed at Gareth Southgate to replace Ten Hag this summer, but in the end still did not do so. Because Man United understands that Southgate will not necessarily be welcomed by fans.
Before losing to Tottenham, Man United's view was that despite inconsistent results this season, they still showed signs of improvement in both attack and defence. Inefficiency in finishing is considered the biggest concern. However, a series of other weaknesses of their came back against Spurs, thereby increasing supervision of Ten Hag.
Before Ten Hag, many other famous coaches failed at Old Trafford. Therefore, the problem cannot be blamed entirely on the Dutch "captain". They also know that Ten Hag has faced many changes off the pitch, including player discipline issues or a prolonged takeover. To put it simply, Ten Hag has not had the best support, according to Man United's point of view.
The board allowed Ten Hag to change the coaching staff this summer, in addition to quality new contracts. INEOS wants to evaluate Ten Hag based on performance in an improved structure.
"We need time for the new contracts to get into the rhythm of the team. But basically, we are now in the same boat, from the board, the executive team, the coaching staff and all the players" - Ten Hag said after the loss to Tottenham.
In general, the "Red Devils" leadership still wants to give Ten Hag another full season under the supervision of the new football management structure. However, there is no guarantee that the Dutch strategist will not be fired if matches like the one with Spurs continue to appear.
The pressure on Ten Hag will be very heavy in the next matches. If Man United still lose both away matches to Porto and Aston Villa, Ten Hag's future will be very difficult to ensure.
