United Beyond Manchester

When the Ineos-appointed staff gave Erik Ten Hag a new contract, they displayed the belief that, with their backing, Ten Hag would be at the helm as Manchester United returned to football prominence. Quality players were brought in during the transfer window, and a sense of stability began to set in ahead of the new season. “Things would be different,” we all thought.

Ten matches in, and United have won just three, with one victory coming against League One side Barnsley and another at 19th-place Southampton. The third win came on the opening day of the season at home to Fulham, though that match was far from comfortable.

Two of United’s home losses have come to Tottenham and Liverpool. Both matches were lost 3-0 and had essentially no positives to take. The draw against Twente in the Europa League started European competition off terribly, as the Reds should have been able to win comfortably.

As poor as the results have been, the dysfunction throughout the team is more problematic. No one on the pitch seems to be on the same wavelength. The midfield and defense are disjointed, and the attack can’t connect to create real chances. Excluding the 3-0 win over Southampton, United have scored just twice in five other Premier League games. Joshua Zirkzee poked home to seal an early triumph over Fulham, and Amad Diallo scored in the loss to Brighton.

Erik Ten Hag has repeatedly asked for patience, though his most recent comments after the Porto draw sounded more like attempts to save his job. Speaking to TNT Sports after the match, Ten Hag said, “We are in the process. Just wait. We will get there. Don’t judge us now in this moment, judge us at the end of the season. We will improve. We have two seasons where we achieved finals.” Ten Hag is essentially begging to stay despite the team already being far behind its peers in the Premier League and Europa League.

So, is it really ‘do or die’ for Erik Ten Hag against Aston Villa?

It could be. If Ten Hag fails to get anything out of Manchester United’s trip to Villa, Ten Hag may certainly be sacked. With a loss, the Reds could fall as far as 15th, depending on other results. If Kieran McKenna’s Ipswich Town defeats West Ham and Manchester United loses, the former United assistant would have his team higher than the Dutch manager.

The new Ineos staff want to bring change to Old Trafford. They tried backing Ten Hag, but the manager has, so far, let them down. It may be time to reset… again.