Erik ten Hag has said he is not thinking about his job security despite Gary Neville calling Manchester United’s performance against Tottenham “absolutely disgusting”.
United first conceded after three minutes, before Bruno Fernandes’ controversial red card just before half time set Ten Hag’s side up for an even tougher second half.
Neville described it as “one of the worst performances I have seen under Ten Hag – and that is saying something.”
Speculation has already begun over Ten Hag’s future after he was close to losing his job last May before winning the FA Cup final.
What went wrong for Man Utd against Tottenham?
It’s probably easier to ask what didn’t go wrong. Fernandes’ sending off aside, Manuel Ugarte was a void in midfield on his first Premier League start, while Joshua Zirkzee toiled in only managing one shot all game.
Full-backs Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui were both repeatedly and soundly beaten, the victim of double matchups and opponents far quicker than them.
Speaking after the game, Ten Hag said: “To concede a goal after two or three minutes like that, it did something to our belief. Totally unneccessary.
“To concede a goal like this, the [opposing] centre-half stepping in and passing the whole team over the right side and then the winger tapping in at the far post. Same mistake as in the midweek against Twente, it should be stopped in the first moment.
“From that moment on we were stressed on the ball. We could not find the triangles or the switches, we had some good moments, but from that moment we could not get a foothold. And we can do better than that. Even after such a mistake from us we should stay calm.”
Meanwhile, speaking on Sky Sports, Jamie Redknapp was hugely critical of the home side’s performance, saying: “United have been so abject, no confidence, no identity, they have been playing like the away team.
“It gets to a point where you feel for the manager. He looks completely out of his depth and is struggling to motivate.
“It was so easy for Tottenham, they were so comfortable, so calm. Man Utd are going backwards, he cant complain anymore. They have spent over £600m and have his defenders in.
“They are rock bottom and I don’t see where they can go from here. It is embarrassing because a club of this stature should not be producing performances like that. You cant get outworked and that was the most damning thing for me.”
And alongside Redknapp in the punditry gantry, former United player Ashley Young was similarly negative, saying: “Manchester United didn’t give anything. There was no effort, no workrate, no leaders on the pitch. It was disjointed, there were individuals all over the pitch.
“Everything was bad from start to finish. They didn’t lay a glove on Tottenham.
“Spurs had so many chances they looked like the home team. The United fans will be disappointed and rightly so.”
Should Bruno Fernandes have been sent off against Tottenham?
One particularly contentious moment was Fernandes’ 42nd-minute red card for a high challenge on James Maddison.
The United captain appeared to slip as he made the challenge, eventually striking Maddison’s shin with his heel in a tackle which looked worse on first viewing.
Although the Premier League said it was “serious foul play”, this seems a remarkably harsh assessment of events and all the pundits agreed it should have been a yellow card at worst.
Fernandes also spoke to Sky Sports after the game, saying: “Nobody wants to be sent off, it’s not a good feeling.
“I didn’t go with the studs, it’s never a red card. Even James Maddison when he gets up he said it’s not a red card.
“If this is a red card we have to look at many other incidents. It is a foul, there is not much contact, if he [the referee] wants to give me a yellow I agree. I don’t understand why VAR doesn’t call him to the screen.”
Will Erik ten Hag be sacked immediately?
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live post-match, Chris Sutton said: “That’s the type of performance which gets the manager the sack.”
It’s hard to disagree. United have made little-to-no progress under Ten Hag and have suffered an array of harrowing defeats, from the 7-0 loss to Liverpool, 6-3 reverse to Manchester City or the 4-0 defeat at Brentford.
Yet after the club’s decision to keep him on after the FA Cup victory, despite interviewing other candidates, and then back him heavily this summer by buying players which the Dutchman had managed before or personally wanted, management have backed themselves into a corner.
While he should lose his job, he won’t for now – almost entirely down to pride and a hole United have dug themselves.
Ten Hag clearly believes he’s safe, saying: “No I am not thinking about [losing my job]. We all made this decision to stay together in summer, as ownership group, leadership group.
“Also we made the decision, after a clear review, what we have to improve as an organisation and how to construct a squad.
“All decisions made in togetherness, also knowing it would take some time. We are all there on one page, one boat, the ownership, the leadership group, the staff, players too.”
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