While Manchester United fans were hoping that the team would push on to the next level under Erik ten Hag this season, the campaign up to this point suggests that it could be a long few months ahead for the club.
Their form over recent weeks has been poor. They have lost four of their first eight Premier League fixtures, also falling to defeats in their opening two Champions League games.
That leaves them in a precarious position moving forward. A title challenge is probably already out of their reach, with a top four finish also under serious threat. As well as that, they are in danger of being eliminated from the Champions League at the first hurdle unless their level of performance improves.
A number of Manchester United players have come in for some heavy criticism from their fans in recent times, although the vast majority of them remain firmly behind the manager. Erik ten Hag is a popular figure at Old Trafford and has been fully backed in his dealings with the likes of Jadon Sancho and Harry Maguire.
However, some feel the Dutchman is being given an easy ride.
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Is Erik ten Hag getting an easy ride at Manchester United?
When a team fails to perform on the pitch, the manager is usually the first one to be blamed. In saying that, things are a bit different at Manchester United.
The Glazer family have become so unpopular as owners that any shortcomings on the pitch are blamed on their lack of leadership.
Speaking on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast, former Spurs boss Tim Sherwood said that this dynamic is actually protecting Erik ten Hag from what he feels would be deserved criticism.
Ten Hag has taken the club backwards and I don’t believe what he is doing is good enough.
I don’t think those late goals make him a better manager and we have to think the same about him as we would if they had lost the game.
Ten Hag is not judging players equally and he’s just chucking people onto the pitch and hoping one of the superstars wins him the match...
When people talk about the Glazers being the problem at Manchester United it’s almost like a get out of jail free card. It doesn’t matter about the owners or the chief executive.
What matters is that their set of players got outplayed by a team towards the bottom of the league, and that has happened multiple times this season. That is down to the manager.
Manchester United have certainly been tactically inept as a team for large portions of this period, something that is the responsibility of the manager. His fractious relationship with some of his players is also sure to lead to some tension in the dressing room.
He has not been helped by a number of injuries within the squad, but it is clear that United have been well short of the expected standard this season. Of course, they still have plenty of time to turn things around over the coming months.
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