{"id":298001,"date":"2023-11-03T06:24:15","date_gmt":"2023-11-03T06:24:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportstons.com\/?p=298001"},"modified":"2023-11-03T06:24:15","modified_gmt":"2023-11-03T06:24:15","slug":"three-players-can-save-erik-ten-hag-from-man-utd-axe-but-boss-nearly-out-of-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportstons.com\/soccer\/three-players-can-save-erik-ten-hag-from-man-utd-axe-but-boss-nearly-out-of-time\/","title":{"rendered":"Three players can save Erik ten Hag from Man Utd axe but boss nearly out of time"},"content":{"rendered":"
Erik ten Hag carries the look of a weatherbeaten lighthouse keeper in his grey roll neck. While he wrestles with Manchester United\u2019s ailing fortunes, part of him must wish he was holed up on some remote finger of land far away from the storm currently breaking around him.<\/p>\n
When Ten Hag led United to their first trophy in almost seven years against Newcastle in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley last season, it looked for all the world as if the Dutch disciplinarian had the club that has, over the past decade become a byword for underachievement, back on the right track at last.<\/p>\n
Qualification for the Champions League duly arrived via United’s highest Premier League finish for five years. However the cup re-match with Newcastle on Wednesday night at Old Trafford – a game in which United had more captains than shots on goal – told a very different story.<\/p>\n
The 3-0 defeat, coming on the back of the derby schooling last weekend, spoke of a side that was back on the rocks. The \u2018bad place\u2019 Ten Hag referred to afterwards was plain for all to see. The problem for the United manager is that while he is the man charged with extracting them from it, he is in it too.<\/p>\n
The goodwill from his impressive first season when he stared out the super disruptor Cristiano Ronaldo, brought in two gold dust signings in Casemiro and Lisandro Martinez and revived Marcus Rashford is evaporating in front of his eyes.<\/p>\n
MUST READ: <\/strong> Man Utd dressing room becomes hostile as ‘resentful’ players turn on Ten Hag<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n\n