Man Utd make ‘private’ decision on Erik ten Hag sack after Aston Villa draw

After a goalless draw against Aston Villa, his position was in question as the October international break began, but he may retain the club’s support for now.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe attended his second match of the season at Villa Park, joined by key figures such as Sir Dave Brailsford, Omar Berrada, Dan Ashworth, Jason Wilcox, and Sir Alex Ferguson in the directors’ box.

United’s leadership is set to meet in Manchester on Monday and in London the following day, with co-chairman Joel Glazer expected to travel from the U.S.

Ten Hag’s situation is likely to be a topic of discussion, as the team currently sits 14th in the Premier League with just two wins from their first seven games and five goals scored.

Of the 11 matches United have played this season across all competitions, only three have ended in victory – a Carabao Cup win over Barnsley and league wins against Fulham and Southampton.

Their struggles in Europe continue as well, with a recent defeat to Porto leaving them with just two points from six in the Europa League. Despite this, Ten Hag insists there is internal confidence at Old Trafford, even though external pressure is mounting.

ESPN reports that United are reluctant to part ways with Ten Hag, especially after investing £200 million in summer transfers and extending his contract until 2026. Firing him would now require a compensation package of around £15 million.

The pool of coaching candidates United considered before hiring Ten Hag, which included Thomas Tuchel, Mauricio Pochettino, Thomas Frank, and Roberto De Zerbi, hasn’t changed much since.

Tuchel remains a top candidate, but the issues that complicated negotiations before still exist.

It would be surprising if anyone other than Ten Hag is leading the team when they face Brentford at Old Trafford on October 19.