"We are on the same page together" - Ten Hag responds when asked if he could be sacked after Manchester United's loss to Spurs
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag claimed that he wasn't thinking about a potential sacking after the Red Devils' 3-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur on September 29. The Dutch tactician asserted that he and the administration are still 'on the same page' and re-affirmed his commitment to the club's project.
United's defense looked lackluster from the start against Spurs in the Premier League clash at Old Trafford on Sunday. They allowed Welsh winger Brennan Johnson to open the scoring after just three minutes. Red Devils captain Bruno Fernandes received a straight red card (42') for his challenge on James Maddison, pegging Ten Hag's side back even more.
Second-half goals from Dejan Kulusevski (47') and Dominic Solanke (77') piled further misery on the Red Devils. The result dropped them to 12th in the Premier League table with just seven points in six games (5 goals scored, 8 conceded).
Manchester United also had a disappointing start to their 2024-25 UEFA Europa League campaign, only managing a 1-1 draw against FC Twente in the opening game. With a mixed bag of results so far this season, fans and media alike were left wondering if Ten Hag could potentially be dismissed.
However, after the game against Spurs, the 54-year-old rubbished the claims of a potential sack. He said to reporters (via @centredevils on X):
"No, I'm not thinking about this. We all made this decision to stay together in the summer. We made the decision from a clear review of what we have to do. We knew it would take some time. We are on the same page together."
Thus far, Ten Hag has a record of 71 wins, 17 draws, and 35 losses in 123 games in charge of Manchester United. In his tenure, the club has won the 2022-23 EFL Cup and the 2023-24 FA Cup trophies so far.
"It did something to our belief" - Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag opens up on 3-0 defeat vs Spurs
Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag opened up on his side's 3-0 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League. The Dutchman claimed that the concession of the opening goal was 'totally unnecessary', and that his players had to 'stay calm' to get out of difficult situations.
United's defense was caught lacking in the third minute when Spurs centre-back Micky van de Ven to make a marauding run down the left flank. The 23-year-old played the ball across for Brennan Johnson to score, setting the tone for the game.
Ten Hag said to the media after the game (via Eurosport):
"To concede a goal after two or three minutes like that, it did something to our belief. Totally unnecessary. To concede a goal like this, the [opposing] centre-half stepping in and passing the whole team over the right side and then the winger tapping in at the far post... It should be stopped in the first moment."
"We had some good moments, but from that moment we could not get a foothold. And we can do better than that. Even after such a mistake from us, we should stay calm," Ten Hag added.
Up next, Manchester United will travel to Portugal to face Porto in their second game of their 2024-25 UEFA Europa League campaign on October 3.