Man Utd expected to stick with Ten Hag as manager
Ten Hag has endured a poor start to the season, which has left United 12th in the Premier League.
Manchester United look set to stick with manager Erik ten Hag for matches against Porto and Aston Villa this week, despite their demoralising defeat against Tottenham at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Ten Hag has endured a poor start to the season, which has left United 12th in the Premier League.
A number of senior sources at Manchester United have told BBC Sport that it is business as usual and the club is focusing on the upcoming matches against Porto and Villa. No official comment has been made by the club.
Speaking after the 3-0 loss against Spurs Ten Hag said he was "not thinking" about losing his job, adding he and the owners are "on the same page".
Ten Hag signed a new contract in the summer and last month club chief executive Omar Berrada said he had the club's full backing.
While the pressure on Ten Hag is clearly mounting, on Monday morning BBC Sport was told the club's hierarchy will always consider such situations carefully, rather than making a decision immediately after a bad result.
Nevertheless, Ten Hag faces a potentially pivotal week with trips to Porto in the Europa League and Aston Villa in the Premier League before the October international break.
Joint-worst Premier League start
After Sir Jim Ratcliffe's purchase of a 27.7% stake in Manchester United, a complete overhaul of the club's board and an eventful summer transfer window, there was renewed optimism heading into this season's campaign.
But that optimism has quickly dissipated and the stats after six matches in the Premier League this season do not make happy reading for Ten Hag:
Manchester United's seven points are the club's joint-fewest after six games of a Premier League season.
Only in the 2007-08 season have United scored fewer goals in their first six Premier League games.
United have lost consecutive Premier League matches without scoring at Old Trafford for the first time since November 2021, in what were Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's final two home games in charge before he was sacked.
United have now lost more Premier League matches by three or more goals since Sir Alex Ferguson left the club (23 in 424 games) than they did in 1,035 league games under the Scot (22).
In nine matches in all competitions so far this season, United have won just three.
But if results are bad, performances are arguably just as worrying.
Spurs created an xG (expected goals) of 4.67 during Sunday's win, which is the most the club has ever recorded in a single game in a Premier League season. In three Premier League home matches this season, United have accumulated an xG of 4.84.
Much was made of United's leaky defence last season as the club conceded 58 times in the Premier League - their most in a 38-match Premier League campaign.
The Red Devils have kept clean sheets in half of their league matches so far, as well as another in a 7-0 win against Barnsley in the EFL Cup.
But they have scored just five league goals, helping the club to a -3 goal difference.
No United player has more than one league goal this term, with Marcus Rashford, Amad Diallo, Joshua Zirkzee, Matthijs de Ligt and Alejandro Garnacho all scoring once.
