No Future for Erik ten Hag at Manchester United: A Deepening Crisis After Tottenham Humiliation.
Manchester United’s 0-3 defeat at Old Trafford to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday leaves a trail of dismay, disappointment, and growing doubts about the future of Erik ten Hag. The result felt like yet another chapter in a long-running crisis at the club—one that runs far deeper than just the performance of the manager or players on the pitch.
For years, Manchester United have been a club in turmoil, unable to recapture the dominance they once enjoyed under Sir Alex Ferguson. Since Ferguson’s departure in 2013, the revolving door of managers has been symbolic of a deeper problem that no one has been able to solve. And as Ten Hag faces mounting pressure, questions arise: is there any future for him at Old Trafford, or is he just the latest in a long line of managers set to fall victim to the club’s dysfunction?
A Performance Unworthy of Manchester United
The match itself against Spurs was nothing short of a disaster. The home fans watched in disbelief as their team was dismantled, with Tottenham’s James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski terrorizing United’s defense and forcing error after error. The attacking fluidity and discipline shown by Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham was in stark contrast to United’s disorganization and lack of intensity. It felt like one team had a clear identity and purpose, while the other was searching desperately for both.
The defeat wasn’t just bad—it was humiliating. Pundits and fans alike used words like “disgusting,” “disgraceful,” and “rock bottom” to describe Manchester United’s performance. The fact that such language is becoming routine after United defeats is telling. This wasn’t an anomaly; it’s part of a recurring pattern that has haunted the club for years. And for many, it felt like the kind of performance that leads to a managerial sacking.
But is Ten Hag really the problem? Or is the Dutch coach just the latest in a long line of talented managers to be chewed up and spat out by the unrelenting pressures of Manchester United?
Deeper Issues at Old Trafford
It’s easy to point fingers at the manager after a defeat like this, but the problems at Manchester United are far more complex than Erik ten Hag or any of the previous managers who have failed to restore the club to its former glory. Since Ferguson left, a total of five permanent managers (David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, José Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjær, and Ralf Rangnick as interim) have tried and failed to bring lasting success. Each was given a brief moment of hope, only to ultimately fall short. The revolving door of managers has become a grim symbol of a club that has lost its way.
The deeper issue seems to lie with the club’s culture and leadership. For years, Manchester United have thrown money at the problem, signing big-name players and hoping that a star-studded squad would be enough to fix things. But the results have been painfully inconsistent. The players, regardless of who they are or how much they cost, often seem unable or unwilling to give 100% week in and week out.
The lack of intensity and fight has been particularly glaring in recent seasons, and it was on full display against Tottenham. There’s a complacency about Manchester United, a feeling that they expect to win simply because they are Manchester United, rather than earning the victory through hard work and discipline.
This issue has persisted since Ferguson left, and it seems to infect every new set of players that comes through the club. The culture that made Manchester United great—the relentless drive to win, the refusal to settle for anything less than excellence—has been eroded. And no manager, no matter how talented, has been able to restore it.
Tin Hat Time at Old Trafford
When results like this happen, Manchester United often find themselves under siege. The media, pundits, and fans all have their opinions, and most of them are negative. The pressure is intense, and it can lead to knee-jerk decisions—like sacking a manager in the hopes that a new one will be able to turn things around. But we’ve seen this story before, and it doesn’t end well.
I call this “tin hat time”—a moment when everyone at the club needs to put on their metaphorical tin hats, block out the noise, and focus on what needs to be done. There’s no quick fix for Manchester United. The problems at the club are systemic, and they won’t be solved by simply firing another manager.
While it’s tempting to call for Ten Hag’s head after a defeat like this, it’s worth asking: what good would it do? Sacking Ten Hag wouldn’t solve the deeper issues at the club. It wouldn’t change the fact that the players often fail to give their all on the pitch. It wouldn’t change the fact that the club’s leadership has been reactive rather than proactive in recent years, constantly trying to paper over the cracks rather than addressing the root cause of the problems.
What Manchester United need now is not another managerial change but a fundamental shift in culture. Leadership starts at the top, and this is where Manchester United have consistently fallen short since Ferguson left. The people in charge at Old Trafford need to take responsibility for the mess that the club is in, and they need to start making decisions that are based on long-term success, rather than short-term results.
A Defining Week for Ten Hag
This week could be pivotal for Ten Hag’s future at Manchester United. The club faces a trip to Porto in the Europa League on Thursday and a crucial Premier League match against Aston Villa on Sunday. These two games offer an opportunity for Ten Hag to reset and prove that he can still turn things around. But they also carry the risk of making a bad situation even worse.
If Manchester United were to suffer further defeats in these matches, the calls for Ten Hag’s sacking will only grow louder. And while the club’s leadership may want to portray a sense of calm, it’s hard to ignore the pressure that comes with managing one of the biggest clubs in the world.
But even if Manchester United were to win both matches, it wouldn’t erase the problems that have plagued the club for years. The deeper issues at Old Trafford—issues of leadership, culture, and player mentality—will still be there. And until those issues are addressed, it’s hard to see any manager, including Ten Hag, succeeding in the long term.
Conclusion: Is There a Future for Ten Hag?
The defeat to Tottenham has cast serious doubt on Ten Hag’s future at Manchester United. But the reality is that the problems at the club go far beyond the manager. Sacking Ten Hag might satisfy the immediate desire for change, but it wouldn’t address the root cause of Manchester United’s ongoing crisis.
What Manchester United need is not another managerial change but a complete overhaul of the way the club is run. Until that happens, no manager—whether it’s Ten Hag or anyone else—will be able to bring lasting success to Old Trafford.
So, as Manchester United brace themselves for another week of scrutiny and pressure, it’s time to put on the tin hats, ignore the noise, and focus on the deeper issues that need to be fixed. Because until those issues are resolved, the future of any manager at Manchester United will always be uncertain.