Those he spoke to after the stalemate at Villa Park were good to their word. While the speculation swirled after last Sunday's 0-0 draw with Aston Villa, Ten Hag flew out of Manchester for a short break, secure in the assurance from directors that he retained their confidence.
And after all those snaps of Joel Glazer, Jim Ratcliffe and Dave Brailsford this week in and around Mayfair, the result remained the same. For the all predictions; the hand wringing, Ten Hag is still the manager of Manchester United.
Of course, the team's situation was on the agenda for messers Glazer, Ratcliffe and co. As it should be. This season's start wasn't in the script. But there's also the matter of Old Trafford and it's future. There's a £2bn-plus project on the table. As much as the on-field performance is a concern, it's fair to say convincing Glazer and Ratcliffe to rendezvous in London was more about the matter of the stadium and the money around it.
So did Ten Hag dodge a bullet? No. As this column stated last week, everything that has been put in place this season by Ineos screams Ten Hag is their choice. The coaching staff around him. The players added over the summer. As some directors at the Mayfair office argued, the Ten Hag era is still in it's infancy. Now isn't the time to waver.
For this column, it's the right call. Though with a qualifier. The patience of this United board won't run forever. And to be fair to Ten Hag, he realises this. Indeed, the Dutchman has admitted to confidants he needs results to turn between now and the next international break. And that's starting with Brentford at Old Trafford this coming Saturday.
But he'll have to do so by navigating another injury absence. Noussair Mazraoui undergoing a minor heart procedure this week. The fullback, who has been a first-choice since his August arrival from Bayern Munich, should be back in training by the end of the month. But the absence still represents more than an inconvenience for United's manager.
Which is what has plagued United so far this season. Inconveniences. The inconvenience of Mazraoui and Matthijs de Ligt arriving after the season kicked off. The inconvenience of the delays over Manuel Ugarte's signing until deadline day. The missed preseason of Josh Zirkzee and Lisandro Martinez. The list goes on and on. There's reasons for United's current stumbles. Not excuses. But at this level, it takes real strength of character to hold your nerve - which is what Ten Hag is relying on from his paymasters as his players get up to speed.
At Villa Park last week, De Ligt, as a second-half substitute, was impressive. Jonny Evans took the plaudits. And rightly so. But De Ligt, for all the criticism from the exes, is looking more and more like a real, genuine Manchester United centre-half by the week. You just wonder how Paul Scholes would've judged Nemanja Vidic after his first months at United if he'd been in the media back in 2006. It's now United folklore how much Vidic and Patrice Evra struggled as United players after their '06 January arrivals. Though both would eventually go onto captain the club, those first weeks were far lower than anything we've seen from De Ligt this season.
And for the Dutchman, we can also raise the names of Ugarte and Zirkzee. Again, they're underdone. They're still adjusting to a new league, a new country and all the demands that come with it. Indeed, for all the barbs being thrown at this summer's arrivals, the same doubts so many had about Andre Onana this time last year have now piped down. David de Gea may be enjoying an incredible career revival in Florence, but there's no calls for the Spaniard's return given the way Onana has performed this season.
Which is why, for this column, patience is still needed for Ten Hag. De Ligt, Ugarte and Zirkzee shouldn't be judged from the minutes they've had so far this term. We can judge how Ten Hag has managed those minutes (and those bloody rotations), sure. But the examples of Onana and before him, Vidic and Evra, do deserve recognition. The keeper, De Ligt and a fit-again Lisandro at the back, Ugarte in midfield and Zirkzee leading the line. On paper, that's an exciting new-look spine for this United team. But beyond Onana, it's also one that missed all of United's preseason. We're not going to truly know the potential of what Ten Hag has on his hands until this new core have some more miles in their legs.
But judgment day is coming. Ten Hag knows this. Last week was just empty speculation. But another set of the same results next break and there'll actually be some credence to those fliers filling the vacuum of international week.