Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has come under the microscope after a poor run of form at the start of the season
- Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has come under further pressure after a Champions League group stage defeat to Galatasaray earlier this week.
- The Dutch tactician has led the Red Devils to their worst start to a domestic season since 1989.
- Ten Hag has also been forced to deal with several off-the-pitch issues during the early stages of the campaign.
Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has come under serious pressure after a poor start to the season, and Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth has provided GIVEMESPORT with an update over his future.
The Red Devils’ woeful start to the campaign continued when they suffered a 3-2 defeat to Turkish side Galatasaray earlier this week, meaning they are still searching for their first points of the Champions League group stage.
Man United latest news – Manager situation
It appears that ten Hag’s job is safe for now as, according to The Guardian, the Manchester United hierarchy are still in full support of the Dutch tactician.
The report suggests the 53-year-old, who has led his side to 46 wins since taking charge last year, is still being viewed as the right manager for the foreseeable future and a string of injuries have been seen as a mitigating factor for the Red Devils’ dismal spell.
Following the defeat to Galatasaray on Tuesday, ten Hag insisted that he still has the backing of the Manchester United board and called for everyone within the club to stick together as they look to recover from a poor run of form which has seen them go into the history books.
The latest setback came after the ex-Ajax chief admitted he could not blame the Red Devils’ supporters for booing his side off the pitch, as a 1-0 loss to Crystal Palace last weekend resulted in them being beaten in four of their opening seven matches of a domestic campaign for the first time since 1989.
Ten Hag was also jeered by the Manchester United faithful when he made the decision to substitute Rasmus Hojlund despite his side chasing an equaliser against Roy Hodgson’s south Londoners, leading to further doubts over whether he has the full backing of the fanbase.
The Red Devils have been consigned to six defeats over the course of their opening 10 matches of the season, leaving them playing catch-up ahead of Brentford visiting Old Trafford on Saturday.
Ten Hag still seen as right man for Man United job – Dharmesh Sheth
Sheth understands that ten Hag will not be facing the axe if Manchester United succumb to another disappointing result in their final fixture before the international break.
The Sky Sports reporter feels the three-time Eredivisie title-winner has been forced to manage the Red Devils in unprecedented circumstances due to multiple off-the-pitch issues.
When asked whether ten Hag could be sacked if Manchester United suffer another defeat at the hands of Brentford this weekend, Sheth told GIVEMESPORT on Thursday:
“That’s not the information we’re getting. I think the hierarchy at Manchester United decided that ten Hag is the guy for them for the longer-term future. But, of course, results are going to dictate the future of any managers, and he will be feeling some sort of pressure simply because of their form.
“But I think there are quite a few mitigating factors that haven’t helped Erik ten Hag. He couldn’t have predicted at the start of the season the whole Mason Greenwood saga going on like it did, the Antony saga and, more bizarrely, the Jadon Sancho issue, where he is constantly being asked questions every single press conference that effectively don’t really relate to Manchester United and what he’s trying to do with the club. It’s all of these issues that are in the background or foreground.”
Who has been linked with the Man United job?
Respected journalist Dean Jones recently told GIVEMESPORT that Zinedine Zidane is the favourite to be appointed as Manchester United’s next boss if ten Hag is shown the door, while Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann and former Chelsea chief Graham Potter are also in the running.
Zidane has a hugely attractive CV, having won the Champions League on three occasions during his time in the Real Madrid hot-seat and lifted 11 trophies in total.
The 51-year-old is currently out of work, having ended his second spell in the Bernabeu dugout in May 2021 by resigning due to feeling the board had lost faith in him, and his statistics show he would be an exciting replacement for ten Hag if an alteration is made at Manchester United.