In what is arguably the lowest point of Erik ten Hag’s tenure as Manchester United’s manager, the team suffered a devastating 3-0 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur in a Premier League match. Spurs took advantage of the disorganised chaos displayed by Manchester United, easily dominating their notable hosts as if it were a casual scrimmage.
Despite the manager’s insistence of having a strategy, the team’s performance seemed more akin to laying out a metaphorical red carpet for their opposition to score at will, which Spurs did with gusto. With the score at 2-0, Manchester United managed to make some progress when Casemiro and Alejandro Garnacho launched a counterattack, exposing what the team could have achieved if they weren’t performing so poorly.
By the time Brennan Johnson and Dejan Kulesevksi had notched their goals, Bruno Fernandes was already off the pitch due to a red card, ruling him out for the next three league matches. As if things couldn’t get worse, Pape Matar Sarr and Dominic Solanke added to United’s misery, with Solanke scoring from Matar Sarr’s assist, both of whom had just entered the match.
Slogging it out in the rain, Ten Hag was essentially presiding over a flawed execution by his team. To add insult to injury, Tottenham were playing without the injured Son Heung-min, suggesting the scoreline could have been even more disastrous for United.
After such an abomination, Ten Hag faces a daunting test ahead with a Europa League match at Porto and a league match against Aston Villa. With recent performances resulting in two draws and a defeat, the manager needs victories more than ever.
As “when the Spurs go marching in” echoed from the jubilant travelling fans, Ten Hag ended the match in the precarious position, flirting with potential dismissal from his post.
A detailed report will follow. – Guardian