Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag remains confident he will be given the time needed to reverse the club’s poor form following a disheartening 3-0 defeat at home to Tottenham on Sunday.
United’s troubles began early, as Brennan Johnson scored just three minutes in, finishing off a powerful run from Micky van de Ven through the heart of United’s defence. Matters worsened for the home side when captain Bruno Fernandes was sent off with a straight red card before half-time.
Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke added to Tottenham’s tally in the second half, ensuring their dominance was reflected in the final score.
Ten Hag has been under scrutiny since the start of the season after barely holding onto his job following an internal review at the end of the previous campaign. United finished eighth in the Premier League last season, their lowest-ever finish in the competition. With just two wins from their opening six games of the new season, United now sit 12th in the table.
Despite the pressure, Ten Hag expressed confidence in the club’s long-term commitment to him. “We all made it together, this decision to stay together as ownership and leadership group in the summer,” he said. “We made the decision from a clear review on what we have to improve and how we want to construct the squad.” He also highlighted that his contract had been extended by a year less than three months ago.
The Dutchman now faces a crucial week, with away matches against Porto in the Europa League and Aston Villa in the Premier League.
Following a disappointing 1-1 draw with FC Twente in the Europa League earlier in the week, Ten Hag was particularly frustrated by the manner in which his side conceded the opening goal against Tottenham. Van de Ven’s surging run set up Johnson for an easy finish, a lapse in defending that mirrored the one that cost them against Twente.
“As a team it cannot happen twice in a few days that a defender can dribble through the whole park,” Ten Hag said. “The players got very stressed after conceding so quick and they made bad decisions.”
Former United captain Gary Neville labelled the first-half performance a disgrace, while Fernandes defended his red card, claiming it was unfair. “Never a red card, that is my view,” said Fernandes. “If he wants to give me a yellow (card) because they are going to go on a counter-attack then I agree. But more than that, no. It is not the case.”