Manchester United are in a difficult phase, and the fingers have pointed at Dutch coach Erik ten Hag. The Red Devils have had a disastrous start to the season, and with trust already shaken, it seems like it's diminishing even further into oblivion. With the team underperforming in the Premier League and Europa League, pressure, speculations of a change in leadership, and much uncertainty surround Ten Hag. But can the Dutchman change things around, or is it time for him to leave Old Trafford?
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Ten Hag On The Edge: Disappointing Results
Manchester United fans, used to a trophy-winning mentality and a competitive team, cannot hide their frustrations with this current team's performance. Currently, the team is sitting in a humble 13th place in the Premier League, very far off from the expectations placed upon one of England's wealthiest and storied clubs. In the Europa League, matters are little different: three draws in three matches without a single win against Fenerbahçe, Porto, and Twente. The insipid campaign underlines a team still in search of its identity under Ten Hag.
The poor start has already kept him in the spotlight with the board and fans. Signed in July, an extension of his contract until 2026 appeared to be the vote of confidence from the club's management; things changed, fast. A trip made by the club's CEO Omar Berrada to Catalonia to meet Xavi Hernandez, the former Barcelona coach, only gave fuel to the rumors according to the Daily Mail. After all, where there is smoke, there is fire.
Behind the scenes at Old Trafford, rumors have been rampant. To the exception of Xavi, who would be an excellent candidate to succeed, another name has cropped up. This name is that of Ruud van Nistelrooy, a club legend who could, according to some sources, take over provisionally. Manchester United does, however stick to its policy of silence, labeling the reports as "speculation."
But anyone who has followed the day-to-day action surrounding the Red Devils knows that silence quite often speaks volumes. It feels that the board is already looking at options for a future without Ten Hag, even if his dismissal isn't immediate. The Dutch coach, who arrived in 2022 with the mission of taking United back to the top, sees himself at this moment in time facing his most difficult period.
The Weight Of History And The Comparison With 1989
Comparisons with the 1989/90 season, when United had a similarly torrid campaign, will be inevitable. That time, Sir Alex Ferguson's team had managed a paltry seven points in seven games and lay in 14th position. Today, matters are not exactly dissimilar: seven points in seven games, with a narrow win over Brentford that provided a small sigh of relief. But the specter of another mediocre season still lingers over Old Trafford.
Of course, the problem is that patience is not what it used to be: back then, Sir Alex Ferguson got the time to change things around and turn into the greatest manager in the club's history. Ten Hag, on the other hand, faces pressures reaching much further than the pitch, demands of sponsors, investors, fans, and of course, the board. In modern-day soccer, time is a luxury-it is one he certainly seems to be running out of.
A Vote Of Confidence With Risks
The renewal of Erik ten Hag's contract in July 2023 seemed very much an act of faith on the part of the board, perhaps a miscalculation. His first season saw Ten Hag win a League Cup title and finish third in the Premier League, while reaching the FA Cup final. In the season thereafter, results would fall off a cliff, with what looked like the beginning of a winning era quickly blowing up in pieces.
Inconsistent, in fact, was the word that defined the campaign in the Premier League, culminating in an eighth-place finish, coupled with an early exit at the Champions League group stage, and laid bare the team's weaknesses under the Dutch coach. With a new contract in the bag and a fresh preseason, many expected Ten Hag to fix those problems; instead, Manchester United appears even more lost on the pitch.
Why The Fans Have Reasons To Doubt
The memories of Manchester United fans are very long, entitled, full of unforgettable triumphs, and legendary players. The ones that got used to seeing their club among the continental cream, find it painful to watch the current team struggle for draws against smaller clubs in the Europa League. Patience with Ten Hag, already wearing thin, seems to have run out.
The games have been marked by a lack of imagination in attack and a defense that repeatedly commits costly errors. Ten Hag came in promising more dynamic and organized soccer, but the progress was not what the fans expected. And for a club like United, always considered one of the biggest in the world, being far from the top is simply unacceptable.