Ten Hag's United draw as career hangs in the balance

By Callum Hussein
Oct 7 2024

Amidst Manchester United’s 0-0 draw with Aston Villa, a sense of uncertainty and unease looms over the future of Manchester United manager, Erik Ten Hag.

“don’t judge us in this moment, judge us in the end of the season…we are in the process, we will improve”, Erik Ten Hag said following Manchester United’s 3-3 draw against FC Porto in the UEFA Europa League.

Pressure has mounted over Ten Hag’s job security as Manchester United have struggled to find form, winning 2 of the clubs 6 Premier League matches played this season.

Despite this pressure, it is clear that Ten Hag maintains respect within the dressing room as Manchester United were energetic against a slightly fatigued yet strong Aston Villa.

Chasing every ball and committing strongly into each tackle, the Manchester United players seemed determined to prove their quality.

The midfield was a fierce battleground for possession, with Aston Villa slightly beating Manchester United as they maintained 55% of possession.

The commencement of the second half opened up scoring opportunities for both clubs, with Bruno Fernandes hitting the crossbar via a close-ranged freekick during the 68th minute.

During the 92nd minute of the game, Aston Villa had a massive chance at goal as Jaden Philogene-Bidace struck the ball to the right of Onana’s goal, with Diogo Dalot blocking the otherwise game winning shot with his body.

Irrespective of these chances, the evenly contested match ended 0-0.

A standout performer during this goalless match was Manchester United veteran, Jonny Evans who was awarded the ‘Man of the Match’ award for his valiant defensive display.

“We showed good defensive resilience…everyone put a real shift in today and showed a bit of grit and determination”, Jonny Evans said.

The draw proved a positive performance for a struggling Manchester United side against a competitive Aston Villa, who defeated German giants Bayern Munich in their midweek UEFA Champions League fixture.

Despite an optimistic result, speculation regarding Ten Hag’s future as Manchester United manager is ongoing.