Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has been granted a stay of execution amid calls for him to be sacked, but he is under ‘intense scrutiny’ from both fans and club officials alike. The pressure on the beleaguered former Ajax manager is building significantly once again following an inconsistent start to the 2024-25 campaign. United have notably failed to score in three of their last four Premier League games, including a disappointing 3-0 defeat to Tottenham. In that match, team captain Bruno Fernandes was sent off, which left the team languishing in a disappointing 12th place in the league table.
Ten Hag, who has delivered Carabao Cup and FA Cup triumphs during his two years at Old Trafford, addressed the media following the Spurs debacle. When asked if he feared getting the chop, he replied with determination: “No, I am not thinking about this. We all made this decision to stay together, as an ownership, as a leadership group in the summer. We also made the decision from a clear review of what we have to improve as an organization and how we want to construct a squad moving forward.”
He further elaborated on the challenging circumstances the team is currently facing, emphasizing that they knew it would not be an easy road given how the summer transfer window unfolded. Players like Manuel Ugarte joined the club late, complicating the integration process. “Also, we have to make some improvements in organization, we still have some injuries, we need some time,” he said. Ten Hag stressed that the key stakeholders—the ownership, the leadership group, the staff, and the players—are united in their goals, declaring confidently, “I don’t have that concern.”
Despite his assertion of unity, it’s noteworthy that sporting director Dan Ashworth, chief executive Omar Berrada, technical director Jason Wilcox, and club board director Sir Dave Brailsford were all present in the stands to observe the dire display against Tottenham. According to The Telegraph, these officials remain supportive of Ten Hag for the time being, indicating that there will be no immediate change in the dugout before crucial Europa League and Premier League fixtures against Porto and Aston Villa this week. These upcoming matches are significant, as they will take Manchester United into the next international break. However, that does not alleviate the reality that Ten Hag is under “intense scrutiny.”
While Ten Hag faces no immediate threat to his future, the demand for a positive response to the team’s recent poor performances is palpable among the fanbase and club hierarchy. Critically, questions regarding his long-term future will linger as long as United struggles to extract the best performances from an expensively assembled squad, which is expected to deliver better results. The coming weeks will undoubtedly be pivotal for both Ten Hag and Manchester United as they navigate this challenging period.
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