This decision came after United’s suprising FA Cup win against Premier League champions Manchester City, in which the Red Devils pulled out a performance rarely seen not only under Ten Hag but in any season since the departure of legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
Normally a trophy winning season is a major success for any club, but for United the Dutchman’s delaying of what seemed like his inevitable resignation appeared desperate and almost depressing. Ten Hag may have won the opening game of the new campaign against Fulham, but since then he has had a downfall in results including a hammering from Liverpool, a deserved loss against Brighton, a lethargic game against FC Twente and a nervy draw with relegation candidates Crystal Palace.
In-between these results sit victories against bottom of the league Southampton and a statement 7-0 result against Barnsley which does not send a message of attacking prowess, but suggests this United side can only perform when it’s a side two leagues below them. It was their recent result against Tottenham however which has finally led many to thoroughly question Ten Hag’s role at the club.
United’s 3-0 loss to Spurs signalled Ange Postecoglou's first away victory over a fellow 'Big Six' side. The club's €50m signing Manuel Ugarte was plugged into a leaky midfield and seemed to lose all the quality he had shown at Paris Saint-Germain in just 73 minutes of football before being removed.
Captain Bruno Fernandes was sent off for a needless challenge, Micky van de Ven ran 60 yards through the side to set up Brennan Johnson, Lisandro Martinez dived in thoughtlessly to help set up the second whilst Dominic Solanke finished the game off just four minutes after Ten Hag made a double change, which only invited more pressure on his side. The Tottenham loss summed up everything about United in recent years. They are shapeless, ambitious but arrogant and overconfident, tactically incompetent and overall, an over invested, uncommitted club who struggled to decide if they wanted to keep their failing manager or not at the end of last season.
United are without a plan, any real structure and have a leader that is not trusted, respected or successful enough to have faith in the long term. The former Ajax man faces a swift exit if he does not get a result in his two games against FC Porto and Aston Villa as fans and squad frustration continue to rise. Both games are away from home and each will be without the club captain which means Ten Hag’s already mediocre side have a mountain to climb over the next week, which will be make or break for a manager who has had over 2 years to turn the club around.
Anything less than a win in both games could derail the Ten Hag project and leave the club stumbling around the manager market once again in desperate need of somebody to take the reins of a club that consistently grows worse each year. Although a double victory could be a blessing in disguise much like the FA Cup triumph, as two wins could lead to even more of Ten Hag’s underwhelming management as he remains unsackable.