"We know the standards at Man United," Erik ten Hag said after Manchester United beat Fulham with Bruno Fernandes in injury time. "We have to meet those standards every day. Man United have just suffered two big defeats, but this dressing room is strong, the staff is strong and I am strong".
And it is a fact that 4 of the "Red Devils" last 6 wins have been thanks to late goals.
After 2 defeats against Manchester City and Newcastle, there were rumors that Ten Hag would be fired if Man United lost to Fulham. Of course, the Dutchman's future is likely to be on the cards until billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe completes a 25% takeover of the club.
If the negotiations go smoothly and Ratcliffe is responsible for running Man United's football, he will need to answer questions about Ten Hag's future.
Last season, Ten Hag seemed to have a bright vision amid the chaos at Old Trafford. After 2 consecutive defeats against Brighton and Brentford, Ten Hag realized that he could not build a playing style from behind with David De Gea.
This strategist also boldly pushed Cristiano Ronaldo, the star who caused many problems off the field. First of all, the Portuguese player could not play according to Ten Hag's philosophy. Ten Hag's initial success came with the Carabao Cup and finishing in the Top 4 of the Premier League.
However, after 3 months of this season, Ten Hag has somehow fallen into tragedy, as every match is now a final. The upcoming confrontation with Copenhagen in the Champions League will be extremely important for both Ten Hag and Man United. They must get points if they want to keep their hopes of going through.
In terms of the number of titles won, Man United is the most successful team in English history. However, they have only won the tournament under 3 different coaches. And the disappointing periods that Man United are going through are part of the club's history.
There are very strange and seemingly inexplainable problems at Old Trafford. Sir Alex Ferguson could work under the Glazers, but since his departure in 2013, Man United have been in decline due to lack of investment.
Man United have spent a lot of money in the transfer market in recent years to bring in a series of valuable stars. But they do not have any models or standards for buying and selling. Then, one comes after another, the keo is finally disappointment.
To some extent, Ten Hag is a victim of the above problem. However, this strategist himself has a certain voice in the transfer stage compared to many previous investors. And none of Ten Hag's 16 underlings have seen clear success.
Antony, a former Ajax student of Ten Hag, is the second most expensive signing in Man United's history. But in the end, the Brazilian player only left anger with lackluster, sluggish performances.
Since Ferguson left, all 6 future successors to Man United have suffered the same situation. The disappointment of each coach is different but the common question is, are they really a problem for Man United?
In fact, no one dares to expect a change on the coaching bench that can immediately change the fate of Man United. But when a club is in crisis, the first change must be the manager.
Ratcliffe will certainly give Ten Hag time, but once the result remains unchanged, the sacking of this strategist will be too early or late.
Perhaps the appearance of Ratcliffe will change the mood and bring Man United back to normal. Perhaps Ten Hag will also regain his confidence and a clear vision, but at this time, a familiar pattern is repeating itself at Old Trafford...
