Man Utd to stick with under-pressure Ten Hag

Manchester United are group to instrumentality pinch head Erik 10 Hag for matches against Porto and Aston Villa this week, contempt their demoralising conclusion against Tottenham astatine Old Trafford connected Sunday.

Ten Hag has endured a mediocre commencement to nan season, which has near United 12th successful nan Premier League.

Speaking aft the 3-0 nonaccomplishment against Spurs Ten Hag said he was "not thinking" astir losing his job, adding he and nan owners are "on nan aforesaid page".

Ten Hag signed a caller statement successful nan summertime and past period nine main executive Omar Berrada said he had nan club's afloat backing.

While nan unit connected Ten Hag is intelligibly mounting, connected Monday greeting BBC Sport was told nan club's level will ever see specified situations carefully, alternatively than making a determination instantly aft a bad result.

Nevertheless, Ten Hag faces a perchance pivotal week pinch trips to Porto successful nan Europa League and Aston Villa successful nan Premier League earlier nan October world break.

After Sir Jim Ratcliffe's 27.7% liking purchase, a complete overhaul of nan club's committee and an eventful summertime transportation window, location was renewed optimism heading into this season's campaign.

But that optimism has quickly dissipated and nan stats aft six matches successful nan Premier League this play do not make happy reference for Ten Hag:

In 9 matches successful each competitions truthful acold this season, United person won conscionable three.

But if results are bad, performances are arguably conscionable arsenic worrying.

Spurs created an xG (expected goals) of 4.67 during Sunday's win, which is nan astir nan nine has ever recorded successful a azygous crippled successful a Premier League season. In 3 Premier League location matches this season, United person accumulated an xG of 4.84.

Much was made of United's leaky defence past play arsenic nan nine conceded 58 times successful nan Premier League - their astir successful a 38-match Premier League campaign.

The Red Devils person kept cleanable sheets successful half of their convention matches truthful far, arsenic good arsenic different successful a 7-0 triumph against Barnsley successful nan EFL Cup.

But they person scored conscionable 5 convention goals, helping nan nine to a -3 extremity difference.

No United subordinate has much than 1 convention extremity this term, pinch Marcus Rashford, Amad Diallo, Joshua Zirkzee, Matthijs de Ligt and Alejandro Garnacho each scoring once.

When Ratcliffe purchased a liking successful United past December, he assumed power of shot operations.

The 71-year-old made clear aft becoming number proprietor that nan club's problems extended acold beyond Ten Hag - aliases so immoderate head that had travel earlier him since 2013.

"In nan past 11 years, Manchester United person had a batch of coaches and cipher has been very successful successful that environment," Ratcliffe told BBC Sport successful February.

"That says to maine location is thing incorrect pinch nan environment. It is not constructive for maine to blasted anyone, it's conscionable a fact. My attraction is connected really I alteration that situation to get nan champion retired of nan coach and squad."

An end-of-season reappraisal saw United speak to a number of managers astir replacing Ten Hag.

However, nan nine yet decided to instrumentality pinch nan Dutchman pursuing nan FA Cup last triumph against Manchester City successful May.

Ten Hag was handed a caller one-year woody to return him done to 2026, but nan nine changed his backroom unit arsenic Ruud van Nistelrooy and Rene Hake joined to switch Steve McClaren, Benni McCarthy and Mitchell van der Gaag.

The erstwhile Ajax leader insisted aft Sunday's conclusion that he had nan board's backing and some parties were aligned connected really to move forward.

"We are each connected 1 page together, nan ownership, nan activity group, nan unit and nan players' group arsenic well. I don't person that concern," he said.

Ratcliffe, who was not coming for nan 3-0 defeat, has not spoken astir Ten Hag's position truthful acold this season.

Berrada and Dan Ashworth, who joined arsenic main executive and sporting head respectively this summer, person some fixed their support to Ten Hag.

"I deliberation Erik is nan correct coach for us, he has our afloat backing," Berrada said earlier nan 3-0 conclusion by Liverpool successful September.

However, some Ashworth and Berrada made it clear that they were not portion of nan end-of-season reappraisal which decided to clasp Ten Hag.

Not for nan first clip since his appointment, Ten Hag faces a defining week successful complaint astatine Old Trafford.

United recreation to Porto successful nan Europa League connected Thursday, having drawn against FC Twente successful their opening group shape fixture past week.

The Red Devils past sojourn Villa Park connected Sunday to return connected Unai Emery's in-form Aston Villa successful nan Premier League.

That fixture will beryllium United's past crippled for 13 days arsenic nan Premier League play pauses for nan October world break.

Simon Stone, BBC Sport's main shot news newsman

I telephone this 'tin chapeau time'.

Manchester United suffer a bad (really bad) result, everyone has an sentiment (negative) and nan nine finds itself nether siege. It's clip to put connected nan tin hats and disregard nan noise.

What do they do?

I americium not getting immoderate consciousness location will beryllium a knee-jerk reaction. United want to represent a consciousness of calm.

But intelligibly Thursday's travel to Porto and Sunday's Premier League lucifer astatine Aston Villa connection some an opportunity to reset and a chance that a rubbish business could get moreover worse.

This is an aged and acquainted business astatine Old Trafford. But nan group successful complaint are new. This is their first large trial since concluding Ten Hag was nan correct man to enactment successful charge.

Leadership starts astatine nan top. This is nan constituent astatine which actions speak louder than words.