October 7 – There are two jobs in English football that are simply the ‘impossible jobs’. One of course is to be the England National team manager, and the other…the hot seat at Manchester United.
Between 1986 and 2013, 27 years if you’re counting, United had precisely one manager, Sir Alex Ferguson. In the 11 years since he retired, watching from the stand named after him he has viewed eight men try and fill his shoes.
The current occupier of the hot seat is the Dutchman, Eric ten Hag. In his 2½ years at Old Trafford, he has won a trophy each season, namely the EFL and FA Cups respectively (pay attention, Spurs and Newcastle), however that has done nothing to quieten the unease felt around the ‘United style of play’ – in fact, it has only heightened the fact that this is a club that can’t help but take two steps back whenever they manage to take one step forward.
The last seven days have been a microcosm of that journey beginning with getting hammered at Old Trafford by Spurs last Sunday leading ex-Red Devil and current Sky & NBC pundit Gary Neville to comment: “That sums up Manchester United in the first half. They have been an absolute disgrace. It’s one of the worst performances I have seen under Ten Hag. And that is saying something. It is really bad. Today has shocked me about how low they have gone.”
Ten Hag’s team followed that up in midweek by coughing up a 2-0 lead against FC Porto in the Europa League, before requiring Harry McGuire to rescue a point with a late, late equalizer in a 3-3 draw. The depressing week finally came to an end with a drab 0-0 draw at Villa Park against Aston Villa. A result that leaves the 20-time Champions of England in 14th place in the table, and Ten Hag hanging by a thread to his job.
In his press conference, one statement stood out while addressing the teams’ lack of cohesion with a promise that “one day it will click” – the world of football no longer gives the promise that “one day it will click” – this is not 1990, and time waits for no manager.
With the United hierarchy meeting in London on Tuesday for a scheduled meeting that now carries the headlines of ‘crisis talks’, ‘(Sir Jim) Ratcliffe decision time’ and the catchiest cliché of all ‘dead man walking’, Ten Hag, must hope that with one click his career in the ‘impossible job’ isn’t over.
Contact the writer of this story, Nick Webster, at moc.l1734920332labto1734920332ofdlr1734920332owedi1734920332sni@o1734920332fni1734920332