Erik ten Hag running out of time as Man Utd manager eyes repeat of statement win
Erik ten Hag looked like an exciting appointment when his Manchester United beat Tottenham in October 2022, but the jury is still out on the Dutchman's long-term suitability
When the option to extend Erik ten Hag’s contract was eventually taken up by Manchester United in the summer, the Premier League’s official website decided to mark the news by listing seven ‘great’ wins enjoyed by the Dutchman at Old Trafford.
Hopefully, the compiler of that list was on double-time because that was some job he or she was given.
It was so tough, a routine triumph over West Ham United even made the cut. It was hardly a magnificent seven. An early 2-1 victory over Liverpool was included, even though that game featured 71 per cent possession for the visitors.
But one triumph that could be classed as a ‘great’ win was the one back in October, 2022 against Sunday's opponents in Manchester. The 2-0 scoreline, with goals from Fred and Bruno Fernandes, did not tell the story of United’s dominance of Spurs on that day.
Ten Hag was two months into his tenure and it was the best Premier League performance under him. Arguably, it remains the best performance under him. It was vibrant, it was aggressive, it was imaginative. It was not as clinical as it could have been but it was mightily impressive.
As United had already beaten Liverpool and Arsenal, for those of us at the Tottenham game, it felt like a statement from Ten Hag. Yet, almost two years on, the jury is still out. It is the longest deliberation on the manager of an elite club in modern times.
In 122 games across all competitions, Ten Hag has not done enough to convince you he IS the right man for the United job. In 122 games across all competitions, Ten Hag has done enough to suggest he MIGHT be the right man for the United job.
That is the dilemma the new ownership structure faced in the summer… and one they still face. United is a team treading mid-table water with a goal difference of zero to go with their final goal difference of minus one last season.
There is talk of targets - chief executive Omar Berrada has apparently told staff that 2028 is the year in which they believe they can win the Premier League title - but what Ten Hag needs right now is not only a win, but the type of statement win that he never really followed up in October, 2022.
In fact, he could do with a succession of statement performances ahead of the international break. After the game against Tottenham, United will go to Porto in the Europa League and Aston Villa in the Premier League.
When his team pummelled Spurs two years ago, it looked to many of us as though United had finally found their ideal manager. But we are still waiting for confirmation and you suspect Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his operatives are still waiting … and won’t wait for much longer.
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