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Manchester United have reportedly decided to retain Erik ten Hag as manager despite the club's humiliating 3-0 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on Sunday, September 29.
The pedestrian performance against one of the Red Devils' arch-rivals intensified scrutiny on Ten Hag's position, especially with only three wins in eight matches this season.
However, according to The Telegraph (via SPORTbible), despite growing concerns within the club's hierarchy, the Dutchman will remain in charge for at least the upcoming fixtures. Manchester United will face FC Porto in the Europa League on Thursday, followed by a Premier League clash against Aston Villa on Sunday.
While the 3-0 loss to Liverpool earlier in the season left the supporters frustrated, the defeat against Tottenham has now rubbed salt on the already sore wounds. United's inability to secure a win in their last three games, which include draws against relatively straightforward opponents Crystal Palace and FC Twente, has further compounded the pressure.
Nevertheless, the club has opted to support Ten Hag through this difficult period, as stated in the report:
"There are no plans for an immediate change of manager and the hierarchy’s focus is on supporting Ten Hag, his staff, and the players."
There's no doubt that Ten Hag's future remains uncertain, but for now, he has been tasked with turning things around at Old Trafford. With the club's ambitions at stake, the next few games will prove decisive for both the manager and the team’s trajectory this season.
“I am not thinking about this” - Erik ten Hag addresses speculation over his sacking following Manchester United's collapse against Tottenham
After the 3-0 drubbing at the hands of Tottenham on Sunday 29, Erik ten Hag firmly dismissed speculation regarding his potential dismissal as Manchester United manager.
The loss, marked by a red card for Bruno Fernandes, has raised significant concerns among fans and executives as mentioned earlier.
However, during the post-match press conference, Ten Hag stated (via The Guardian):
“I am not thinking about this.
“We all made in the summer the decision to stay together, as an ownership, a leadership group. Also we made the decision from a clear review what we have to improve and how we want to construct a squad. But we knew it will take some time, how the window went, some players late in like [Manuel] Ugarte."
Despite recent performances that have left the team languishing in 12th place in the Premier League, he remained committed to his long-term vision for Manchester United. Meanwhile, Ten Hag acknowledged the need for improvement, particularly in defense, saying:
“Also we have to make some improvement in [the overarching] organisation, we still have some injuries, we need some time. We are all on one page or in one boat together, the ownership, the staff and the players as well. I don’t have that concern.”
