This marks the lowest point in Erik ten Hag's tenure at Manchester United. A chaotic display that Tottenham took full advantage of, effortlessly moving the ball around and penetrating their esteemed hosts as if in a men-versus-kids match. The manager insists he has a plan, but based on this performance, it appears to involve metaphorically rolling out a red carpet for the opposition, as Spurs did repeatedly.
Towards the end, with United trailing 2-0 and down to 10 men, they showed a glimmer of what they could achieve. Casemiro's raids and Alejandro Garnacho's darting runs demonstrated potential that was overshadowed by their overall embarrassment. By then, Brennan Johnson and Dejan Kulesevksi had already scored, and Bruno Fernandes had been sent off, ruling him out of the next three league games. The red card seemed harsh, but the indignity continued as Lucas Bergvall's corner, taken from the left, was headed on by Pape Matar Sarr—also his first touch—and Dominic Solanke, unmarked, tapped it in.
Ten Hag, drenched in the pouring rain, had witnessed a shooting gallery. This was even more remarkable considering that Ange Postecoglu's team was without the injured Son Heung-min, who might have added to United's humiliation with a six or seven-nil drubbing. United's next match is against Porto on Thursday in the Europa League, followed by a trip to Aston Villa on Sunday. After this debacle, the manager urgently needs victories—preferably in both games—as this defeat, coupled with two draws in their last three outings, has left him teetering on the brink.
As the jubilant away fans sang 'when the Spurs go marching in,' the embattled Dutchman found himself navigating the perilous territory marked 'sacking.'
Full report to follow.
