Just six games into the Premier League season and the sacking rumours have begun.
Erik ten Hag has been the manager of Manchester United for just over two years now, but his future is looking bleak.
Having survived an end of season review by new co-owners INEOS, the Dutch coach was backed in the summer window with a £205.9m war chest to bolster his squad.
United brought in five first team signings.
🚨💰 – UPDATED: The correct figures of how much Man Utd have agreed on new signings this summer, per Fabrizio Romano (bookmark this):
LENY YORO, 18
• £42.8m guaranteed fee, £10.2m in add-ons (£53m)JOSHUA ZIRKZEE, 23
• £36.4m guaranteed fee (£36.4m)MATTHIJS DE LIGT, 25
•… pic.twitter.com/1E0oEWzMHV— UF (@UtdFaithfuls) August 27, 2024
A positive atmosphere surrounded the club, with fans optimistic after the terrific FA Cup final win against Manchester City, on top of an impressive transfer window.
A new coaching staff was also brought in with Ruud van Nistelrooy and Rene Hake becoming assistant managers, after the departure of Mitchell van der Gaag.
But just a few weeks later and Ten Hag is already under huge pressure to keep his job.
United sit 14th in the Premier League table, having lost three, drawn two and won two of their opening games.
The media is rampantly circulating around the potential of Ten Hag’s removal.
It’s starting to feel like the beginning of the end.
Where did it all go wrong?
It’s no secret that last season was disappointing for the club. Yes, winning the FA Cup was fantastic, but this didn’t hide the appalling eighth place finish in the league. It was United’s worst Premier League finish ever. This as well as a humiliating bottom of the group exit out of the Champions League. Had United lost that cup final, it would have been a complete disaster of a season.
Erik Ten Hag's Future…⌛️
Man Utd's 10 losses by 3+ goals in all comps with Ten Hag in charge is double that of any other manager post-Alex Ferguson.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer lost five, but then his team also won by 3+ goals 30 times, whereas the Dutchman has only managed 13. pic.twitter.com/UVVmSelYSW
— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) October 2, 2024
To Ten Hag’s relief, they didn’t, but the scars of the last year haven’t faded.
United have been ridiculed for their vulnerability defensively, having lost by over three goals, 10 times under Ten Hag.
Double that of any other United manager post Sir Alex Ferguson.
The shots faced crisis
Last season the criticism was due to the onslaught United faced at goal. As of April 2024, they’d faced the most shots in Europe’s top five leagues in 2024.
225 – Manchester United have faced more shots than any other side in Europe's big-five leagues in 2024 (225). Concerning. pic.twitter.com/mVEgUEEfRo
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 4, 2024
Since then, United have faced 84 shots in their seven league games so far, averaging 12 per game. In April 2024, the average was 16 per game. While this isn’t a huge difference, it’s clear there is some change. Andre Onana leads the golden glove race with four clean sheets so far, ahead of Alisson and David Raya on three. This is a reflection of United’s improved defence this season.
This could be down to Ten Hag having a consistent back four to choose from, after the injury crisis last year forced him to select 14 different centre half pairings. Despite this, United still look incredibly vulnerable.
The midfield is a huge element for concern, as Ten Hag’s side leave gaping holes in the middle of the park. When possession is lost, the opposition easily carves through United.
The effortlessness of this makes Ten Hag’s side simple to play and create chances against.
Process FC
When United beat Barcelona in the Europa League and won the Carabao Cup against Newcastle in the space of a week, it felt like things were finally on the up.
They weren’t.
A 7-0 loss to Liverpool the week later and it’s been a downhill spiral ever since.
That tough to beat side who went on a 31-game unbeaten run at Old Trafford, is a stark contrast to the team that play now.
Over two years on from Ten Hag’s arrival and after United’s draw against Porto in the Europa League, the Dutch coach used the word process again.
🔴⚠️ Ten Hag: “We are in the process. Just wait…”, tells TNT Sports.
“Don't judge us now in this moment, judge us at the end of the season”. pic.twitter.com/uwYXoxkvjm
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 3, 2024
You might get away with this a season or two into a job, but the third, is unforgivable.
Hundreds of millions spent yet still talking about a process. This does nothing but provoke and alienate fans.
They want accountability for results, but Ten Hag often chooses to deflect the performance in some way. While at times this is fair, it happens so often that it just frustrates fans.
United’s draw against Aston Villa means it’s the clubs lowest points tally after seven Premier League games ever.
8 – With eight points (W2 D2 L3), this is Manchester United's lowest tally in their opening seven matches of a league season since 1989-90 (7), when they went on to finish 13th under Alex Ferguson – his lowest league finish in charge of the club. Meagre. pic.twitter.com/RF3Z1iBrOo
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) October 6, 2024
Ten Hag now holds the record for United’s two lowest points tally’s after seven games, sharing the second lowest (nine points) with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
No amount of promises from the former Ajax coach can change the fact that United are struggling massively.
Lack of identity and goals
Since Sir Alex Ferguson retired, all fans have wanted is a clear attacking style of play. But they’ve been starved of this. Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho promoted a slower more pragmatic style of football, while Solskjaer struggled to impose a consistent attacking style of play. Then Moyes tenure was just a nightmare from start to finish.
Fans wanted Ten Hag because of the beautiful football Ajax played under him.
It truly was a joy to watch. At United, it’s been nothing like this. While Ten Hag has openly said United can’t play like Ajax because of the players, you’d hope that after spending hundreds of millions you’d get a bit closer. But three seasons later and United look as hopeless as ever. You never know what to expect from the side.
Then a lack of goals this season has also been a problem.
United haven’t scored in their last three Premier League games. Their five goals from seven games is the second lowest in the league. Only Southampton are lower with four.
The expected goals (xG) however, paints a different picture. United’s xG is just over 11, meaning they should’ve scored six more goals. This is significant as big misses is costing Ten Hag.
If this continues, goals will come but not to the extent fans hoped for upon Ten Hag’s arrival at the club.
With the lack of clear identity and the team struggling to score, this builds the pressure up on the Dutch coach even further.
Fighting for the manager
Ten Hag truly believes in this ‘process’ but do the players?
Every match that goes by it looks like they believe less and less.
Losing the dressing room is a dark fate that has faced many of United’s recent managers.
If this is occurring, then it’s only a matter of time.
Losing trust in a manager is acceptable but giving up isn’t.
United’s issue is that they always look like they want it less. Teams face United and give more. They run more, fight more and inevitably score more.
No team wins the Premier League or Champions League if they can’t outfight their opponents.
The FA Cup illustrated what this team can do if they want it more, because on that day, they did, but United can’t seem to do this throughout a season.
What hope does the club have if the players don’t even fight for every point.
INEOS’ dying trust
When Ten Hag was given a contract extension, this wasn’t due to a unanimous support from behind the scenes at the club. It was based on various factors like the lack of other options and the huge support of Ten Hag in the fanbase.
As such, INEOS were never completely convinced on him. Ten Hag was given another chance but such opportunities can quickly fade with poor results.
The Dutch coach isn’t going to get the time a new manager would and so is very much on a tight-rope.
Can Ten Hag turn it around?
Yes, but it’s looking increasingly unlikely.
Every game that passes he seems to lose more support from the fanbase.
The football expected of him just isn’t showing, with United struggling to score goals while looking vulnerable defensively.
Right now, he’s heading for the sack.
But a good run of form however, can change everything.
After the international break, United’s next four games are Brentford, Fenerbahce, West Ham and Leicester.
This is a real opportunity for Ten Hag to scramble a good run of form.
In a recent interview, he said: “Don’t judge us in this moment, judge us at the end of the season.”
If Ten Hag can start getting results and producing the football expected, he could easily win back the fans, but this has to happen quickly.
INEOS may be patient, but this will only go so far if the poor results continue.