Manchester United coach Erik ten Hag has appealed for more time to revive the club following yet another disappointing performance.
United faced a humiliating 3-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on Sunday, reigniting speculation about Ten Hag’s job security.
The loss left United in 12th place in the Premier League table, with just seven points from their first six games and a goal difference of minus three.
“I am not thinking about this,” Ten Hag responded when asked if the club’s co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his executives might consider a managerial change.
“We all made the decision to stay together this summer, as an ownership and leadership group. We agreed on what we need to improve and how we want to construct the squad. But we knew it would take time, especially given how the transfer window went and some players arriving late, like Manuel Ugarte.”
“Additionally, we need to improve our organization. With several injuries, we require more time. We are all aligned—the ownership, the staff, and the players. I don’t have any concerns about that.”
Reflecting on the match, he noted, “What I saw in the first 30 minutes was below the expectations for a Manchester United team. Even after conceding early, you should remain calm, stick together, and follow the plan. We didn’t manage to do that.”
He added, “From the moment we conceded the opening goal, we became anxious on the ball. We made too many mistakes, struggled with our pressing in the first half, and allowed counter-attacks. We made poor decisions even when we had space. It was a bad start to the game.”
“Tottenham was dominant. We couldn’t execute the right press and made errors in possession. We failed to find the spare man and struggled to pass through their press.”
United also saw their captain, Bruno Fernandes, sent off just three minutes before half-time for a late tackle on James Maddison. “The referee gave him a red card, and I have my opinion—I don’t believe it was a red card,” Ten Hag stated.