Erik ten Hag is expected to continue as Manchester United manager for Thursday's match against Porto and Sunday's visit to Aston Villa, despite the club's executive board remaining "calm" about his position following Sunday's humiliating 3-0 loss to Tottenham. The defeat at Old Trafford leaves United in 12th place in the Premier League with seven points from six matches and a goal difference of -3, having scored only five goals. Sunday's result marked a second consecutive 3-0 home loss in the league, following the earlier capitulation to Liverpool on September 1st. This has intensified scrutiny over Ten Hag's position at United, but multiple high-ranking sources within the club have informed the Guardian that the Dutchman is anticipated to remain in charge for at least their next two games. The atmosphere is described as calm, though there is an acknowledgment that this is a "big week" for Ten Hag as he strives to reverse his team's fortunes. This implies that losses in one or both games could result in his dismissal, especially if the manner of defeat is again concerning.
United has failed to win their last three games and has secured victory in only three of their eight matches across all competitions this season. The loss to Spurs was particularly worrying as the opening two goals, scored by Brennan Johnson and Dejan Kulusevski, were due to a lack of structure and resistance in United's midfield and defense. This same issue led to Twente's equalizer in the 1-1 Europa League draw four days earlier at Old Trafford. All of this points to a lack of a clear game plan. Following the loss to Liverpool, the Guardian reported that Ten Hag's game model was under scrutiny regarding his long-term job security.
The Dutchman, who signed a new contract until July 2026 in the summer, was asked after Sunday's game if he was concerned that the Sir Jim Ratcliffe-led football department at United might decide a change of manager is necessary. "I am not thinking about this," he said. "We all made the decision in the summer to stay together, as an ownership, a leadership group. We also made decisions from a clear review of what we need to improve and how we want to construct a squad. But we knew it would take some time, given how the transfer window went, with some players arriving late like [Manuel] Ugarte." He added, "We also need to make some improvements in the overall organization, and we still have some injuries. We need some time. We are all on the same page, the ownership, the staff, and the players as well. I don't have that concern."
