MANCHESTER UNITED
Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag could be sacked if he doesn’t stop making four mistakes
Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag could be sacked if he doesn’t stop making four mistakes
Manchester United look set to cash in on the credit Erik ten Hag earned in his first season as manager by giving him time to put things right at Old Trafford.
But the Dutchman must stop making a trifecta of mistakes if United’s diabolical start to his second campaign is to improve anytime soon.
The Red Devils have suffered their worst-ever start to a Premier League season, slumping in 10th on nine points after losing four of their opening seven games.
And back-to-back defeats to Bayern Munich and Galatasaray at the start of the Champions League campaign have left hopes of progressing from Group A in the balance.
READ MORE:“Not Happy”;Rasmus Hojlund reacts to Galatasaray defeat as brace is not enough to seal win
Ten Hag’s situation hasn’t at all been helped by an unprecedented injury crisis, at one point during which he was missing 12 first-team players.
Returns have bolstered United in recent weeks, but five defenders, three of whom are usually starters, were absent in Tuesday’s 3-2 defeat against Galatasaray at Old Trafford.
Ten Hag must now make some important decisions to attempt to steer the ship around and divert his sinking project back in the right direction.
If he opts against that, he will be at serious risk of losing the patience of the fans and, more importantly, the club’s under-pressure decision-makers.
Harry Maguire must be watching Victor Lindelof’s performances in central defence and thinking what on earth he has to do to get a game of football.
Sure, Maguire has been far from the United standard for a prolonged period. But the former captain impressed in the 3-0 Carabao Cup win over Crystal Palace and seems to have a strong relationship with Raphael Varane.
Yet, Ten Hag dropped him for Saturday’s defeat in the rematch against the Eagles and stuck with Lindelof against Galatasaray despite his poor showing days before.
It’s time to recall Maguire and use Lindelof to solve a second decision that has turned out to be a mistake. Get Sofyan Amrabat away from full-back.
Amrabat caught the eye on his first United start in the cup win over Palace but has been successfully targeted in the following two games.
The 27-year-old looked panicked at the weekend – conceding the clumsy free-kick that led to Palace’s winner – and was at fault for two of Galatasaray’s goals on Tuesday.
Lindelof has experience playing at right-back. Play him there and use Diogo Dalot on the left until one of Luke Shaw, Sergio Reguilon or Tyrell Malacia return.
That, in turn, will help solve another problem. Casemiro, aged 31, cannot be starting every single game for United. He has been the definition of leggy this season, and it’s no surprise.
Moving Amrabat into his natural holding midfield position will help balance the workload and offer Casemiro a chance to rest.
That should hit two birds with one stone by getting the best of Amrabat by using him in the position he arrived to play in, and hopefully, the best out of a more rested Casemiro, too.
And finally, Bruno Fernandes is not a right-winger. He has never produced his best performances on the right wing. So it’s time to stop using him as a makeshift right-winger.
Fernandes is at his best when he’s given the freedom of the centre of the pitch, where he can dictate games and provide goals and assists by finding holes and making dangerous runs
He never looks settled when pushed out wide and is as far as a wasted talent when he is.
Antony’s return will help solve that problem, but Mason Mount or Alejandro Garnacho would be more suitable alternatives when necessary.
MANCHESTER UNITED
“He needs to go now ” Man Utd sent clear Erik ten Hag sack message as Star players calls for a change
“He needs to go now ” Man Utd sent clear Erik ten Hag sack message as Star players calls for a change
Matthijs de Ligt has sent an indirect message to the Manchester United hierarchy amid uncertainty about Erik ten Hag’s status as manager. De Ligt reunited with Ten Hag at Old Trafford in the summer and appears to have made it clear that he would prefer to continue working with the Dutchman.
He is no stranger to experiencing a coaching change across his spells at Ajax, Juventus and Bayern Munich, and Ineos could enforce the latest as early as next week.
Ten Hag is under severe pressure, having overseen just three wins in United’s opening 10 matches of the season after a largely woeful second campaign.
A poor result in Sunday’s trip to Aston Villa could prove fatal, with patience among the fanbase on the brink of collapse.
United bosses are scheduled to meet in London less than 48 hours after the Premier League clash at Villa Park, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Joel Glazer among the planned attendees.
But De Ligt has publicly suggested that he would prefer the club to stick with Ten Hag so he can enjoy a longer-term relationship with one of his coaches.
“To be fair, it’s quite funny because in my career, I’ve never had a trainer for longer than one and a half seasons,” De Ligt told Sky Sports.
“So this is something that I hope I can have now, that I have a trainer or a manager who stays longer with me as a player so you can grow more together also.”
De Ligt has featured more under Ten Hag than any other manager in his career, being selected 78 times at Ajax and United.
The next highest totals belong to Thomas Tuchel and Massimiliano Allegri, but at just 42, it’s easy to see why the 25-year-old is seeking stability.
United would likely prefer to retain faith in Ten Hag after concluding a search for a worthy replacement in the summer by extending his contract by one year until 2026.
Ratcliffe also sanctioned around £200million in transfers to bolster the Dutchman’s squad, including the £43m deal for De Ligt.
However, a failure to win at Villa could leave United as many as nine points adrift of the top four and closer to rock-bottom than the Champions League spots.
A fourth defeat in seven league games could make Ten Hag’s position untenable and leave De Ligt temporarily coach-less again.
The centre-back’s status may also be in doubt after a dismal showing at Porto on Thursday, with last-gasp hero Harry Maguire knocking on the door.
Predicted Manchester United XI vs Aston Villa: Hojlund leads the attack
Rasmus Hojlund of Manchester United celebrates with his team mate Lisandro Martínez after scores his team second goal during the UEFA Europa League 2024/25 League Phase MD2 match between FC Porto and Manchester United at Estadio do Dragao on October 3, 2024 in Porto, Portugal.
There is a lot on the line this weekend when Manchester United visit Aston Villa in the Premier League.
The Reds need three points after a slow start to the season and Erik ten Hag is walking a tightrope to keep his job after Sir Jim Ratcliffe refused to back him when asked about the manager’s situation in a recent interview.
Aston Villa go into the game after beating Bayern Munich in the Champions League, so both teams come into the game with completely contrasting situations at play.
Ten Hag’s side have won just six in 20 Premier League matches. That record must change if he is to keep his job.
Manchester United predicted XI vs Aston Villa
Andre Onana has shown better form this season, despite United struggling to get results. The Cameroon international will start between the sticks.
Ten Hag will stick with his favourite back four, although they let him down on Thursday night by conceding three goals against Porto.
There are question marks over Kobbie Mainoo’s fitness after he withdrew from the 3-0 defeat to Tottenham with a knock that forced him out of the Porto tie. He trained on Friday and should feature at some point against Villa. However, we’re going to opt for more protection by starting Casemiro alongside Manuel Ugarte and Bruno Fernandes.
Fernandes is available after United successfully appealed his three-match domestic ban due to a wrongful dismissal against Tottenham.
The front three will consist of Alejandro Garnacho, Rasmus Hojlund and Marcus Rashford. Hojlund got back on the scoresheet against Porto and will be hungry to add to his tally.
Predicted Manchester United XI vs Aston Villa: Onana, Mazraoui, De Ligt, Martinez, Dalot; Ugare, Casemiro, Fernandes; Garnacho, Hojlund, Rashford.
MANCHESTER UNITED
“Drop them both” Manchester United fans blames two players for loss against Porto and demand they are dropped and tell Erik ten Hag who should replace both
“Drop them both”
Manchester United fans blames two players for loss against Porto and demand they are dropped and tell Erik ten Hag who should replace both
Manchester United fans are demanding two players are dropped after a horror show in the 3-3 Europa League draw against Porto.
United were 2-0 up and flying 20 minutes thanks to goals from Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund.
But Pepe reduced the deficit for the hosts before 20-year-old striker Samu Omorodion struck twice to complete a remarkable turnaround.
The former Atletico Madrid man bullied Lisandro Martinez and Matthijs de Ligt at the Estadio do Dragao.
The former Ajax defenders appeared to establish themselves as Erik ten Hag’s first-choice pairing in the early parts of the season but both were all over the place on Thursday.
They were so poor in fact, that both were hooked for Harry Maguire and Jonny Evans in the 77th minute with United 3-2 down.
Maguire scored a stoppage-time equaliser to save Ten Hag’s bacon and fans want changes at the heart of the backline.
They cannot wait for £52 million summer signing Leny Yoro to return from injury and believe partnering the 18-year-old with Maguire is the way to go.
One said: “Chuckle brothers to start at Villa Park on Sunday. Drop De Ligt & Martinez.”
A second person agreed: “De Ligt cannot start on Sunday. Martinez will be lucky to start on Sunday.”
A third commented: “Get Leny Yoro back man.”
A fourth opined: “Leny Yoro can’t come back soon enough. First choice pairing should be him and Maguire until Martinez and De Ligt get their s**t together.
A fifth user wrote: “I need me a Leny Yoro and Harry Maguire partnership.”
A final person posted: “Sir Harry Maguire and Jonny Evans have to be our staring CB parting from here on out until Leny Yoro comes back.”
Winless in their last four games and currently 13th in the Premier League, United travel to Aston Villa on Sunday for a huge clash.
Pressure continues to pile on Ten Hag and it’s emerged that INEOS chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe will be in attendance at Villa Park.
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Rasmus Hojlund sits out of training for Denmark ahead of Nations League game against Switzerland
