The Red Devils are going backwards under the Dutchman, who is lucky to still be in a job after such a miserable start to the season
Old Trafford was once the most intimidating stadium for opposing teams in English football. Sir Alex Ferguson turned Manchester United into a winning machine during his glorious 27-year reign, moulding several world-class teams through a mixture of promoting the brightest academy talent and shrewd business in the transfer market.
He also ruled the dressing room with an iron fist, and demanded the highest standards from every single one of his players. David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer all proved to be unworthy successors to Ferguson – and Erik ten Hag is now destined to suffer the same fate.
Ferguson only lost 34 home Premier League games of the 405 he managed: a total the five coaches who succeeded him have matched in just 196 games. Manchester City stormed to a 3-0 victory in their arch-rivals' backyard on Sunday, and the only surprise come the final whistle was that they didn't score at least two or three more.
United started well enough, but the gulf between the two teams became more and more apparent as the game wore on, and Ten Hag was completely outwitted in the tactical stakes by Pep Guardiola. The result confirmed the Red Devils' worst start to a top-flight season since 1986-97, and leaves them 11 points behind leaders Tottenham after just 10 games.
Ten Hag reportedly still enjoys the backing of the United board, but their patience will run out soon. There are no positives to be taken from the team's performances that might suggest a significant turnaround is looming on the horizon.
Yes, the uncertainty surrounding the Glazer family's proposed sale of the club has served as an unwanted distraction. It now appears that they will be staying put, for a while at least, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his company INEOS set to acquire a 25 percent stake in the club with a view to completing a phased takeover.
But that's not a good enough excuse for how far United have fallen under Ten Hag. It is patently clear that the Dutchman is not the right man for the job, and he only has himself to blame for the irrecoverable position he now finds himself in.
GettyNo clear identity
Ten Hag was praised for overseeing progress in his first season at Old Trafford, as United sealed a top-four berth and won the Carabao Cup to bring a painful five-year trophy drought to an end. Facilitating a genuine title challenge was the next logical step – but any hope they may have had of closing the gap to City has already been dashed. United have already lost five Premier League games in 2023-24, with Tottenham, Arsenal, Brighton and Crystal Palace also getting the better of Ten Hag's disorganised, unimaginative group of misfits.
United don't dominate against the so-called lesser sides, and they appear to have an inferiority complex when coming up against the division's heavy-hitters. "They are playing underdog football and they have done since he [Ten Hag] came in," former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher told after United's derby defeat at the weekend.
"They play counter-attack and they play a lot of long balls. No other top team plays like that. It's nothing to do with what's going on above him. What's he doing on the training pitch, with the players he brings in, and what's he asking them to do? You can't see it."
Gary Neville, a former United captain and member of the fabled Class of '92, had little choice but to agree, adding: "I don't like the football at all, I've no idea what the patterns are they are trying to put in place."
It's impossible to defend Ten Hag when assessing the immediate impact that his peers have had at rival clubs. In their respective roles at Spurs, Brighton and Aston Villa, Ange Postecoglou, Roberto De Zerbi and Unai Emery have had a transformative effect by getting their players to follow clear tactical blueprints.
They have all taken a leaf out of the playbook that Guardiola, and Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, have followed for maximum success over the past eight years. Ten Hag's failure to do the same has led to his downfall, and there appears to be no way back.
AdvertisementGettyTerrible transfers
Ten Hag has spent a grand total of £335 million ($426m) on new players since his arrival at Old Trafford from Ajax, over £100m ($121m) more than Guardiola in the same period at City. The likes of Casemiro, Lisandro Martinez and Christian Eriksen all enjoyed impressive maiden campaigns at United, but have so far been unable to reach the same high levels this term.
Brazilian winger Antony, the second-most expensive signing in the club's history at £85m ($103m), has done next to nothing to justify his huge price tag, Tyrell Malacia has been unable to earn a regular place in the team – and the less said about goal-shy Wout Weghorst's six-month loan spell in Manchester the better.
And then we come to Ten Hag's additions in the 2023 summer window. Mason Mount has yet to score in his first eight appearances for United since a surprise switch from Chelsea, and just looks out of place alongside Bruno Fernandes in the middle of the park. Former Inter goalkeeper Andre Onana, meanwhile, has been unable to prove himself as an upgrade on David de Gea, with a number of embarrassing errors costing United in crucial fixtures.
Up front, instead of going all out for Harry Kane before his move to Bayern Munich, Ten Hag moved for 20-year-old Danish striker Rasmus Hojlund, who has shown plenty of potential, but has yet to open his Premier League account and doesn't appear to be a natural goalscorer.
Deadline-day arrivals Sofyan Amrabat and Sergio Reguilon have proven to be little more than utility men after respective loan moves from Fiorentina and Tottenham, and the return of 35-year-old Jonny Evans in a prominent defensive role has only helped to highlight the lack of quality in Ten Hag's ranks.
"They have allowed another manager to come in and dictate policy and let the tail wag the dog on recruitment," Neville added on after the City game. "They have brought eight Eredivisie players in from basically a league that Erik ten Hag thinks he trusts."
Ten Hag's transfer targets have made United weaker, not stronger. He has done nothing to earn another war chest in the January window, and must be held accountable for how disjointed the squad has become.
GettyCareless captaincy call
One of the best decisions Ten Hag has made as United manager was to strip Harry Maguire of the club captaincy, after it became apparent that he did not boast the leadership qualities needed to drive the team forward. The weight of the armband always appeared to be a burden for Maguire, who has since gone back to basics and shown that he still has plenty to offer. The England international has worked his way back into the starting line-up after refusing to accept a move away from the club, and is now playing without pressure.
Unfortunately, Ten Hag did not pick the right man to takeover as captain. Fernandes was the obvious choice after taking up vice-captaincy duties last season, and it was no shock when he was given the role on permanent basis. But the United boss really should have given the issue more thought.
There is no doubt that Fernandes is the most vocal member of the current squad, and he often takes it upon himself to make something happen in the final third of the pitch. When it comes to lifting the team in moments of adversity, though, the Portuguese playmaker has always let himself down. Fernandes is the first to throw his hands up in the air and moan when United concede goals or give up possession cheaply – despite the fact he is often guilty of basic errors himself.
He made headlines for his petulant behaviour in a 7-0 drubbing at the hands of Liverpool at Anfield last season, and eight months on, doesn't appear to have matured in the slightest. Fernandes' childish outbursts of frustration damaged his team-mates' morale once again as City gave United another footballing lesson at Old Trafford, leaving club legend Roy Keane in no doubt that another change should be made.
“After today, watching him again today, I would definitely take the captaincy off him," the former United skipper told . "One hundred percent. I know it’s a big decision, they changed it with Maguire, but Fernandes is not captain material. He’s a talented player, no doubt about it, but I think what I saw today with him again, he’s whinging, he’s moaning, he’s throwing his arms up in the air constantly, it really isn’t acceptable."
Ten Hag isn't blessed with a squad full of leaders, but he does have at least two better options than Fernandes. Former Real Madrid and France centre-half Raphael Varane boasts a wealth of experience and the naturally cool head of a captain, which made him the most obvious alternative candidate when Maguire was initially axed. Varane could still take the armband from Fernandes now, but niggling fitness problems have prevented him from playing regularly in recent weeks.
That leaves Luke Shaw as next in line, with the 28-year-old now the longest-serving member of the current United squad. Shaw is still working his way back from a serious muscle injury, but he's been the Red Devils' most consistent performer over the past few years and would command the respect of the entire dressing room.
Getty ImagesOut of his depth
Ten Hag has attempted to stamp his authority at United on a number of other occasions, including when exiling Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho from his squad.
Ronaldo's second spell at Old Trafford eventually ended in controversial fashion, as his contract was terminated following his decision to go public with his criticism of Ten Hag in an explosive interview with Piers Morgan. United's results improved after the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's departure, but Ten Hag's treatment of Sancho has been more difficult to justify.
The former Borussia Dortmund winger worked hard to regain favour with his manager towards the end of the 2022-23 campaign, only to fall foul of his wrath once again in early September. Ten Hag accused Sancho of a lack of commitment in training, which the 23-year-old rubbished in a now-deleted social post, and he has been frozen out indefinitely. It now seems inevitable that Sancho will leave the club in the January amid reports that he is unwilling to apologise to Ten Hag in order to reignite his United career.
The situation doesn't appear to make much sense on the surface, given the fact Sancho's main competitors for a regular starting berth on the wing have also massively underperformed in recent months. The likes of Marcus Rashford and Antony continue to feature regularly despite their minimal contribution and the obvious need for a fresh spark in attack. Ten Hag still doesn't seem to have any idea what his best XI is either, which makes Sancho's omission all the more baffling.
The 53-year-old coach has also been undermined by the same dressing room leaks that hampered Solskjaer and Mourinho, with it suggested that the players have stopped giving their all for the under-fire head coach.
Ten Hag is wilting under the pressure of huge expectations, and looks completely out of his depth. That comes as little surprise to former United and Ajax striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who recently questioned whether Ten Hag was ever the right fit for such a high-profile post.
"Ajax is a talented club. They have the best talents in the club. They don’t have big stars. What is the experience of this coach? Young talents," Ibrahimovic told Piers Morgan on . "He comes to United, it is a different mentality, different players. The players there are supposed to be big stars. He is in a different situation. I can imagine him coming from Ajax to United is a big difference, because I have been in both clubs.
"It is a different kind of approach. There you have a different kind of discipline. You come to United and do the same thing… I don't believe it is the same treatment you give. I think he needs more time to get the experience how to handle a [top] team.”