Manchester United head coach Erik ten Hag has held crunch talks with chief executive Richard Arnold as the under-fire boss remains defiant that he can turn things around at Old Trafford. The Dutchman is facing increasing scrutiny following their 3-0 loss at the hands of Newcastle United on Wednesday, sending the holders out of the Carabao Cup, while their Premier League and Champions League hopes also look just as bleak only a third of the way into the season.
Issues away from the pitch have caused an unwanted distraction this year, however. Antony was forced to take a leave of absence as the Brazilian faces allegations of domestic abuse, which he has denied. In addition, there is no signs of an end to his public fallout with Jadon Sancho, as the England winger remains exiled from the United squad.
Arnold is said to be ‘aware’ of the circumstances Ten Hag has worked with in his 17-month spell in charge and this has been factored into his assessment of the 53-year-old’s tenure. Indeed, the CEO is prepared to bide his time and allow Ten Hag the chance to right the ship, with fixtures against Fulham, Copenhagen and Luton Town providing an opportunity for victories to boost morale.
But reports of growing unrest now in the stands – with fans beginning to turn against the under-fire boss – may well force the United chief into making a decision on his future if the situation does not improve.
Other than Chelsea, United have the highest gross spend of any top-flight club with a £410m spending spree, yet his signings such as Antony and Mason Mount have largely flattered to deceive.
Ten Hag accepted responsibility for their 3-0 defeat to Newcastle United on Wednesday where the players and coach were booed off for a second game running at Old Trafford. It followed their derby humiliation against Manchester City on Sunday, where Pep Guardiola’s side ran out comfortable 3-0 winners and spent the majority of the second half toying with United’s players.
Still, Ten Hag is determined to prove he is the right man for the job after admitting he sympathised with unhappy fans questioning his position: “I understand it when the results are not there it is also a logical process that they are questioning that. But I am confident I can do it,” Ten Hag said after the game.
“At all my clubs I have done it and also last year here I did it as well, but at this moment we are in a bad place. I take responsibility for it. I see it as a challenge. I am a fighter and I am in that fight and I have to make sure that I share the responsibility with my players and that we stick together and fight together, and get better results.”
The defeat against City left United down in eighth in the Premier League table and they now trail leaders Tottenham by 11 points. Elsewhere, defeats away to Bayern Munich and Galatasaray at home have left them scrambling to avoid being knocked out of the Champions League group stage, with a narrow 1-0 success over FC Copenhagen hardly convincing enough to silence his detractors.
After surviving his first round of talks, it appears Ten Hag has bought some time. But a defeat against Fulham at Craven Cottage on Saturday would be their third in a row in all competitions and eighth in 14 games, which may be enough for Arnold to heed calls for him to be sacked.
