'We'll battle' - Ten Hag nonetheless defiant however is Man Utd boss on brink?

Because the clocked ticked previous 90 minutes at Estadio do Dragao, Erik ten Hag gave the impression to be staring into the abyss.

His Manchester United aspect had squandered a two-goal lead towards Porto and have been heading to a morale-sapping defeat.

A defeat that will not have confirmed the top of Ten Hag’s time at Outdated Trafford however will surely have left him teetering, nearer than ever, to the sting.

However earlier than that situation might turn out to be a actuality, Harry Maguire leapt to move an equaliser and ease the strain, if solely marginally, on his supervisor.

“We’ll get there,” Ten Hag informed TNT Sports activities. “Do not decide us on this second, decide us on the finish of the season.

“We’re within the course of, we’ll enhance. We’ve got had two seasons the place we now have reached finals, we’ll proceed and battle.”

With United at present thirteenth within the Premier League desk, although, and hypothesis following a timid 3-0 home loss to Tottenham that Ten Hag had two video games to save lots of his job, the Dutchman’s judgement is prone to arrive a lot sooner if there will not be massive enhancements.

“You see the spirit and the connection between the workers and the workforce,” Ten Hag added.

“The gamers are collectively, they’ve a powerful spirit they usually need to obtain. We’ve got a very good mentality however in some defending components we now have to step up.

“We had three clear sheets not a very long time in the past so we will defend superb, however we now have to return to these habits.”

How unhealthy is it? What the stats say about Ten Hag’s tenure

Regardless of Ten Hag’s continued perception in himself and his workforce, the numbers counsel the scepticism from elsewhere could also be justified.

Because the Dutchman joined the membership in 2022, no Premier League membership have conceded three or extra targets in a match extra occasions in all competitions than United’s 24.

Furthermore, within the 62 video games they’ve performed for the reason that begin of final season, United have conceded on 31 events – essentially the most of any present Premier League aspect.

They’ve saved 4 clear sheets to this point this season however for a workforce with aspirations of competing for the highest honours at dwelling and in Europe, letting in two targets or extra each different recreation is suboptimal to say the least.

In implies that regardless of attaining the spectacular feat of scoring three targets of their final 4 European away video games, United have misplaced two and gained none.

The attract Porto was additionally one other instance of one other undesirable behavior they’ve developed: throwing away leads.

The Crimson Devils have now gone 5 video games and not using a win in European competitions regardless of main by a minimum of two targets in three of them.

The truth is, United have didn’t win on every of the final 4 events by which they’ve gone two targets up in Europe.

Having already confronted questions over their potential to attain targets this season, it actually doesn’t bode nicely that they’re conceding with such frequency – and even after they do get themselves in entrance, they’re liable to let their opponents again in.

‘Ten Hag is strolling a tightrope’

Even having prevented defeat in Portugal, Ten Hag stays beneath intense scrutiny earlier than Sunday’s return to league motion at Aston Villa.

He stayed on in the summertime, after the frustration of an eighth-place end was offset considerably by profitable the FA Cup.

However whereas a poor begin to this marketing campaign has seen the strain on the 54-year-old ramped up once more, Mark Ogden, senior author for ESPN, doesn’t count on Ten Hag to be sacked even when United lose at Villa Park.

“I will be shocked if he misplaced his job,” he informed BBC Radio 5 Dwell. “On the idea that the cash is a matter.

“Manchester United are hoping he turns it spherical. He’s clearly strolling a tightrope.”

However how lengthy he stays if outcomes don’t considerably enhance is one other matter.

“The manner from the gamers is it is like they’ve simply had a maths lesson with a instructor they do not like they usually’re all popping out confused,” Ogden added.

“There’s probably not any type of heat from Erik ten Hag to the gamers. Ten Hag would not have the charisma to handle at a prime membership.”

To beat a Villa aspect buoyed by a famous win over Bayern Munich, Ten Hag should discover a approach to encourage his gamers or face succumbing to a fourth league defeat in seven video games.

“Erik’s resilient, he is proven that however Villa Park goes to be so robust,” former Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves informed TNT Sports activities.

“It is a massive take a look at and he must discover a approach to bounce again.

“Earlier than the sport, we’re highlighting they have goalscoring points. As we speak they’d defensive points. At occasions it seems like they get one thing sorted after which one thing else goes.

“There are a whole lot of points, he is [Erik ten Hag] been there for fairly some time. There will be a whole lot of questions.”