It doesn’t bode well when players feel like their manager is on ‘borrowed time’, but that is clearly the case with Erik ten Hag, who – with the benefit of hindsight – Sir Jim Ratcliffe and co. should have dismissed as part of that unnecessarily prolonged post-season review in the summer.
Much has changed at Old Trafford since Ratcliffe arrived at the start of this year. For the first time in quite a while, Man Utd appear to be moving in the right direction behind the scenes after INEOS made a concerted effort to appoint the best in class for several key roles in the months following the British billionaire’s takeover.
But the same cannot be said for matters on the pitch as Ten Hag‘s side continues to make the same old mistakes and still look alarmingly frail, even after a largely positive transfer window.
The Red Devils were well on their way to a resounding defeat even before Bruno Fernandes’ red card against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday and the manner of their performance has seen Ten Hag’s odds plummet en route to becoming the favourite to be the first Premier League manager sacked this season.
Man Utd are already reportedly ‘planning talks’ with one possible successor and another potential candidate is ‘waiting’ for the job, so – barring a miraculous unforeseen turnaround – it feels like it’s only a matter of time before Ten Hag is dismissed.
This could be sooner rather than later with an ambitious Ratcliffe presumably growing restless amid United’s miserable start to the season. So with that, we’ve ranked their next 10 matches – from least to most likely – on the chances of them being Ten Hag’s last as head coach of the floundering Premier League giants…
10) Leicester City (H – Carabao Cup) – October 30
Ten Hag likes to tell everyone that he’s a master of winning trophies and his ability to secure silverware has extended his stay at Old Trafford.
But the Carabao Cup is not high on Man Utd’s current list of priorities and failing in this competition is unlikely to result in the Dutchman’s demise. Elimination in the fourth round would still be disappointing, mind.
READ: Top 10 Manchester United lows under the doomed Erik ten Hag
9) Ipswich Town (A – Premier League) – November 24
The Tractor Boys – with a manager who reportedly could have replaced Ten Hag in the summer – are looking the likeliest of the three promoted teams to avoid relegation, especially after their admirable 2-2 stalemate against Aston Villa.
This draw indicates Kieran McKenna’s side could have more success against Man Utd, but the current trajectory of the Red Devils suggests their boss is unlikely to make it as far as his side’s trip to Portman Road at the end of November.
8) Leicester City (H – Premier League) – November 10
The Foxes gave Arsenal a scare at the weekend and their trip to face Man Utd in the Premier League is certainly more troublesome for Ten Hag than their Carabao Cup meeting.
Even on one of United’s worst days, they should still have enough to sneak past relegation-bound Leicester City and Ten Hag should be more wary about a couple of other upcoming Premier League home matches.
7) PAOK (H – Europa League) – November 7
Man Utd’s disappointing draw against FC Twente edged Ten Hag closer to the sack and a similarly underwhelming outcome in their next Europa League home match against PAOK would be far from ideal.
The new format of the Europa League means Man Utd – even amid their ongoing woes – are one of the favourites to win the competition. They can get away with a couple of slip-ups as there is a worrying lack of jeopardy in the Swiss Model’s group stage.
6) West Ham (A – Premier League) – October 27
Man Utd have been slightly less sh*t on the road than at home this season, while Julen Lopetegui – another manager on the plank – has had a disastrous start since replacing his Scottish variant at the London Stadium.
Lopetegui may not still be around, but West Ham *should* grow into the season once their impressive raft of summer signings settles in. But the current form of the Hammers could provide Man Utd much-needed opportunity to ease the pressure on Ten Hag…for about four seconds.
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5) Porto (A – Europa League) – October 3
The Red Devils don’t have much time to be down in the dumps as they are back in action on Thursday night in the Europa League against Porto, who are second in Liga Portugal behind Sporting Lisbon.
This match will be another big test of Man Utd’s resolve under Ten Hag, which is rightly under scrutiny after the Tottenham disaster. Ratcliffe may decide ‘enough is enough’ if the English side suffers another convincing defeat, but their second game of the week is more likely to hammer the final nail in the Dutchman’s coffin.
4) Chelsea (H – Premier League) – November 3
Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea – thanks largely to the continued brilliance of Cole Palmer – have been an early-season pleasant surprise in the Premier League and they certainly seem far more likely than Man Utd to finish in the top four.
The Blues have already proved that they can be clinical when faced with a charitable defence and they could have a lot of joy against Man Utd in their current guise.
A hammering against a Big Six rival would justify the sack, but Ten Hag would have to last another month to get to the Chelsea game and right now, that seems unlikely.
READ: How Moyes, Hodgson, Mourinho, Rodgers fared after starts as bad as Ten Hag’s Man Utd
3) Fenerbahce (A – Europa League) – October 24
Former Man Utd boss Jose Mourinho getting one over his old club to send Ten Hag packing? Sometimes things are just meant to be and this is a mouthwatering potential narrative.
A win of this magnitude for Mourinho would not see his Man Utd return granted, but the prime managerial sh*thouse will likely use every dirty trick in the book to leave Ten Hag on his knees in the opposing dug-out.
2) Brentford (H – Premier League) – October 19
Ten Hag’s second of back-to-back Premier League losses at the start of his rollercoaster reign at Man Utd was a 4-0 loss to Brentford and a similar humbling could be all she wrote for the Dutchman.
Ivan Toney-less Brentford have had a mixed start to the season, but they have more than enough about them to expose Man Utd and if Ten Hag can get past this week, his unreliable players will need to turn up against the Bees if they are to avoid yet another defeat.
1) Aston Villa (A – Premier League) – October 6
Ratcliffe can learn a lot from Aston Villa under Unai Emery as the West Midlands side head into this weekend’s match as favourites as they attempt to prey on a misfiring Man Utd.
Post-Sir Alex Ferguson, the Red Devils have often plucked a performance from nowhere to save an at-risk manager from the sack and this exact thing happened against Villa last season.
I could easily see history repeating itself at the weekend. But United are predictably unpredictable, so another heavy defeat – which would make Ratcliffe’s subsequent sack call a no-brainer – is just as likely as a shock win.
