Sunday’s disappointing 3-0 defeat to Tottenham, which saw captain Bruno Fernandes sent off while the team was already behind before halftime, has left Manchester United languishing in 12th place in the Premier League with only seven points from their first six matches.
The disjointed performance, especially during a lackluster first half when all eleven players were still on the pitch, drew harsh criticism from pundits.
Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville described the display as “disgusting” and “disgraceful,” while fellow Sky Sports analyst Jamie Redknapp called it “embarrassing,” stating that the club has reached “rock bottom.”
Chris Sutton, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, remarked, “That type of performance could lead to the manager losing his job.”
The statistics present a grim picture for manager Erik ten Hag and his squad:
- Manchester United’s seven points after six games are the joint-fewest in the club’s Premier League history.
- The club has scored fewer goals in its first six matches this season than in any other since the 2007-08 campaign.
- United has suffered back-to-back Premier League defeats at Old Trafford without scoring for the first time since November 2021, during Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s final two home matches.
- The team has now lost more matches by three or more goals (23 in 424 games) since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure than they did in 1,035 games under him (22).
‘United Faces a Crucial Decision on Ten Hag’
Ten Hag faced scrutiny last season but received backing from the owners following co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s evaluation of the team’s performance. Under Ten Hag’s leadership, United finished third in the Premier League in his debut season and ended a six-year trophy drought by winning the Carabao Cup.
However, the second season has proven to be significantly more challenging, with the club finishing eighth in the league and exiting the Champions League at the group stage. The season was somewhat salvaged by an FA Cup final victory over Manchester City, preventing their rivals from achieving a domestic double.
The lackluster start to the 2024-25 campaign has not instilled confidence in the team’s trajectory under the 54-year-old manager. Former Premier League midfielder Robbie Savage suggested on BBC Radio 5 Live that a significant decision regarding Ten Hag’s future must be made this week, stating, “I think his time might be up.”
Neville echoed these sentiments, saying, “It’s one of the worst performances I’ve seen under Ten Hag— and that’s saying something. It is really bad.”
So poor was the display that former United player Ashley Young called for the players to hold a “crisis meeting” this week. “Today has shocked me about how low they have sunk,” Neville added. “It felt like one of those days where they reached a new low.”
Redknapp was equally critical, stating, “I just don’t see how he [Ten Hag] can keep his job. He looks completely lost, and I don’t know how he can turn it around. He has already had enough time. The only problem is that I don’t know who would take over—it’s such a difficult job.”
Phil Jones, a former Manchester United defender, noted on BBC Match of the Day, “They are struggling for form. The pressing was off, and they were arriving too late, leaving massive spaces. It’s a tough pill to swallow for Man Utd. There’s no player who doesn’t want to put in the effort, but they need to find a way.”
In a show of defiance, Ten Hag stated, “It is always a new day,” when asked about the team’s next steps, but acknowledged that his side “made many mistakes” and “lost confidence” after conceding within three minutes.
When asked if he was concerned about his future, given the uncertainty of last season, he replied, “No, I am not thinking about this. We made a collective decision to stay together, as ownership and leadership, over the summer. We have a clear review of what we need to improve as an organization and how we want to construct the squad, and all decision-making is done together. We knew it would take some time.”
‘Never a Red Card’ – Fernandes
Manchester United were already being outclassed by Tottenham long before Fernandes’ controversial dismissal in the 42nd minute, which left them with a steep uphill battle.
The midfielder seemed to slip while tackling James Maddison and was shown a straight red card by referee Chris Kavanagh, a decision that VAR did not overturn. Ten Hag disagreed, claiming that “the red card changed the game,” adding, “It was only 1-0. We could have made a comeback, and it had a big impact.”
Fernandes told BBC Match of the Day, “I was the one sent off, and I let the team down. The team showed a lot of character, resilience, and fight. I believe it was never a red card; it’s a foul, but I agree that a yellow card would have sufficed. I appreciate the effort from my teammates to get back into the game, but it wasn’t possible.”
Everton’s 39-year-old full-back Young, who spent nine years at Old Trafford, stated on Sky Sports, “I don’t think it was serious foul play; he slipped. I think the referee has got it wrong.”
Jones, former Brighton striker Glenn Murray, and ex-Spurs midfielder Danny Murphy all agreed on Match of the Day that it shouldn’t have been a red card. However, former Everton midfielder Leon Osman expressed on BBC Radio 5 Live that while it didn’t look great, the contact was made just below Maddison’s knee and could be seen as cynical.
‘Outstanding’ Spurs ‘Can Challenge for Top Four’
Tottenham entered the match one place above Manchester United in 10th, having suffered defeats to Newcastle and Arsenal in their opening five games. However, they delivered a dominant performance at Old Trafford, scoring three goals and achieving an expected goals value of 5.33, fully capitalizing on United’s shortcomings.
Neville praised Tottenham’s performance as “outstanding,” despite the absence of injured captain Son Heung-min. “Tottenham were really good and deserved the scoreline,” he said. “It was a great day for Ange Postecoglou, who has faced some questions recently.”
Osman remarked, “Before the game, we discussed the significance of winning this fixture. Spurs look like a team capable of challenging for the top four, while United appears disorganized and in disarray.”
This victory marked Tottenham’s fourth consecutive win across all competitions, following a patchy start to the season, and keeps them within three points of the top four in the early standings
