Why do Manchester United and INEOS persist in supporting Erik Ten Hag despite evident challenges and underwhelming performance? Melissa Reddy from Sky Sports News explains…
Reasons Behind Man Utd’s Support for Ten Hag
Manchester United has openly recognized that the major issue in the club since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson has been the absence of a football-centric strategy, a reliable group of experts in the field, and a framework that aligns with elite clubs throughout Europe.
There is a recognition that many capable managers have arrived at Old Trafford only to encounter failures, indicating that the problem lies within the underlying structure, necessitating reforms at that fundamental level. Additionally, there is an understanding that Erik Ten Hag has faced considerable off-field disruptions, including player discipline issues and the prolonged takeover process, and the new football leadership team believed he had not received adequate support, guidance, and assistance.
<div class="sdc-article-widget sdc-site-video sdc-article-widget callfn" data-account-id="6058004149001" data-amp-iframe-embed="" data-asset-id="cb0111ee-c9f1-4d24-84b1-5d3272a51d9b" data-asset-path="" data-asset-version="" data-autoplay="false" data-auth-config="{"url":"https://api.condatis.sky/auth/video/token","tokenRequired":true,"fetchMethod":"url","fetchOptions":{"encoded":true},"headers":{"X-SkyGDP-Proposition":"sportweb","X-SkyGDP-Territory":"GB","Authorization":"OGY5ZDgxZjRhNzYwNGQ3MTljMjFhMDJlOGVmODRhYzA="}}" data-caption="FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Tottenham's win against Manchester United in the Premier League" data-clip-type="" data-component-name
FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Tottenham’s victory over Manchester United in the Premier League
They permitted him to restructure his coaching staff this summer, exert influence on recruitment once more, and have expressed a desire to provide him with at least a complete season under this new INEOS-driven arrangement to assess potential improvements. Nonetheless, if subpar performances resembling Tottenham’s become a trend, it will be exceedingly difficult for the club to adhere to this strategy.
The club has invested heavily since Ten Hag’s arrival - what about nurturing young talent?
Heavy investment is an understatement—more than £600 million has been allocated for recruitment during his tenure. However, the type of player signed underwent a significant shift this summer under INEOS, with
There were no players signed over the age of 26. The five new acquisitions brought in during the transfer window lacked Premier League experience, indicating that an adjustment phase would be essential.
Matthijs De Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui, and Manuel Ugarte joined the team late. Meanwhile, Joshua Zirkzee missed the pre-season tour, and Leny Yoro suffered an injury during the first match in the United States, so there are some mitigating factors to consider.
However, these circumstances do not excuse the dismal performance against Tottenham. Ten Hag can highlight the progress of Amad, Kobbie Mainoo, and Alejandro Garnacho as evidence of his commitment to developing young talent, and the club has emphasized the need for patience. Nevertheless, the pressing question they must confront is whether this truly represents the best style of football that this squad can showcase.
How much worse does it need to get before a change of manager becomes inevitable?
Currently, United sits in 13th place in the table, already six points adrift of the Champions League spots with the same number of games played. They have gone scoreless in three of their last four league matches, and only Southampton, in 19th place, have had a harder time finding the back of the net this season than Ten Hag’s team.
The disheartening defeat against Tottenham marks yet another in a series of shocking performances; this follows the 7-0 thrashing from Liverpool and the 4-0 loss to Crystal Palace, and a similar 4-0 humiliation by Brentford. How many more crucial weeks can Ten Hag manage to endure during his time at Old Trafford?
The challenge for the Dutchman lies in the fact that the alarming deficiencies exhibited last Sunday—such as the lack of pressure on the opponent and the ease with which they could play through the team—are not isolated incidents. The problem for the club is that the coaching landscape has not changed since the summer when Ten Hag was chosen as their preferred manager, aside from the potential availability of Gareth Southgate. Furthermore, they recognize that bringing in the former England manager would likely not be positively received by the fans.
<div class="sdc-article-widget sdc-site-video sdc-article-widget callfn" data-account-id="6057984924001" data-amp-iframe-embed="" data-asset-id="954ae679-43b6-4bcc-99e1-b5c0871f40fb" data-asset-path="" data-asset-version="" data-autoplay="false" data-auth-config="{"url":"https://api.condatis.sky/auth/video/token","tokenRequired":true,"fetchMethod":"url","fetchOptions":{"encoded":true},"headers":{"X-SkyGDP-Proposition":"sportweb","X-SkyGDP-Territory":"GB","Authorization":"OGY5ZDgxZjRhNzYwNGQ3MTljMjFhMDJlOGVmODRhYzA="}}" data-caption="Gary Neville labelled Manchester United's 3-0 loss to Spurs as 'disgusting' and admits something's wrong in the dressing room" data-clip-type="" data-component-name="sdc-site-video" data-competition="" data-copy-url-text="URL copied to clipboard" data-fn="sdc-site-video" data-id="id_954ae679-43b6-4bcc-99e1-b5c0871f40fb" data-is-live-stream="false" data-lite="true" data-options="" data-originator-id="49" data-originator-handle="brightcove-sport-gb" data-package-name="" data-provider="brightcove" data-player-id="DESF5xFjJ" data-playsinline="" data-sensitive="false" data-sdc-id="6701093" data-sdc-video-id="954ae679-43b6-4bcc-99e1-b5c0871f40fb" data-sport-category="" data-state="loading" data-token-state="none" data-video-ad-unit="videoplayer" data-video-blacklisted-originator-ids="" data-video-id="ref:954ae679-43b6-4bcc-99e1-b5c0871f40fb" data-video-type
Gary Neville described Manchester United’s 3-0 defeat to Spurs as ‘disgusting’ and acknowledges that there are issues within the dressing room.