Ten Hag’s Tenure Takes a Tumble as Pressure Mounts at Manchester United
It’s been a tough few weeks for Erik ten Hag and Manchester United. After a humiliating 3-0 defeat to Liverpool at Old Trafford, the pressure is mounting on the Dutch manager to deliver results.
United were hoping to bounce back from a disappointing defeat at Brighton in their second Premier League game of the season, but they were outplayed by Arne Slot’s Liverpool side. Luis Diaz’s first-half brace put the Reds in control, before Mohamed Salah scored a third shortly after half-time to seal the win.
With two defeats in three games, the heat is back on ten Hag, who was praised for his appointment earlier in the year. However, after a summer of hype and expectations, the manager’s stock has taken a significant hit.
According to Sky Bet, ten Hag is now the second-favourite to be the next Premier League manager to lose their job, priced at 7/2 behind Everton boss Sean Dyche (3/1). Former England manager Gareth Southgate was heavily linked with the United job earlier this year, and he has already made his stance clear on replacing ten Hag.
In a press conference ahead of England’s friendly against Brazil, Southgate said: "Manchester United have a manager and I think it is always completely disrespectful [to talk about replacing them] when there is a manager in place… I’m president of the LMA so I don’t have any time for that sort of thing really."
Paddy Power have since slashed the odds of Southgate becoming the next permanent United manager to 4/1, making him the second favourite just behind current United assistant coach Ruud van Nistelrooy.
Ten Hag has some tough games ahead of him, starting with a trip to Fulham on Saturday. He will be desperate to turn around United’s fortunes, but it’s clear that the pressure is mounting. With so much uncertainty at Old Trafford, it’s only a matter of time before the heat turns up on ten Hag.
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