Manchester United has reportedly reached a private agreement regarding the future of Erik ten Hag following Sunday's 0-0 draw against Aston Villa. Despite a disappointing start to the season, it appears that the club is keen to avoid sacking Ten Hag, according to insider reports.
Sunday's goalless draw at Aston Villa left Ten Hag’s future hanging in balance as we approach the October international break. However, there are indications that he might retain his position for now. Sir Jim Ratcliffe attended his second match of this campaign at Villa Park, sitting alongside other notable figures such as Sir Dave Brailsford, Omar Berrada, Dan Ashworth, Jason Wilcox and Sir Alex Ferguson in the directors' box.
A meeting involving United’s hierarchy is scheduled for Monday in Manchester and Tuesday in London. Co-chairman Joel Glazer is expected to fly from the US for these crucial discussions.
A season under scrutiny
Ten Hag’s future will be a key point on their agenda given Manchester United’s current standing - 14th place in Premier League table with only two victories out of seven games so far and just five goals scored. Out of eleven matches across all competitions this season, only three have ended victoriously - including a Carabao Cup win against Barnsley and league triumphs over Fulham and Southampton.
The team also suffered another setback recently when they managed just one victory out of their last ten European outings - leaving them with two points from six possible ones in Europa League after Thursday's game at Porto.
Despite facing severe external pressure due to these results, Ten Hag insists that things look different within Old Trafford walls.
The club backs Ten Hag
According to ESPN reports, Manchester United seems reluctant about parting ways with Ten Hag despite recent performances. This comes months after backing him with £200million in the summer transfer window. INEOS also extended his contract by a year, pushing its expiry to 2026 as part of his agreement to stay in charge.
If Ratcliffe were to sack Ten Hag now, he would have to pay a hefty compensation package estimated at around £15m. The coaching pool from which United deemed Ten Hag the best fit hasn't changed much since last summer. The club reportedly interviewed Thomas Tuchel, Mauricio Pochettino, Thomas Frank and Roberto De Zerbi among others before settling on Ten Hag.
Tuchel is likely the favourite for replacing Ten Hag permanently as Manchester United manager if it comes down to that. However, the issues that broke down talks previously will likely still be present. Ruud van Nistelrooy could potentially succeed his compatriot on an interim basis - but would this trigger the change United needs? As things stand now, it would be surprising if anyone other than Ten Hag was at helm when Brentford visits Old Trafford on October 19th.
