For those of us who have watched a series of Manchester United managers unravel over the past decade, the signs are not difficult to spot.
David Moyes and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had gone considerably grayer at the top by the time they left the job. Ralf Rangnick gave the players the day off and was then surprised when he showed up for work to an empty training ground.
Who can forget Jose Mourinho’s ‘respect, respect, respect’ rant early in his final season at Old Trafford?
And Louis van Gaal walked out during a Christmas press conference after sarcastically telling reporters to enjoy the wine and cakes United had prepared for us. The Dutchman offered to quit shortly afterwards.
That was in December 2015 before Van Gaal’s team went to Stoke and lost for the fourth game in a row.
Man United have suffered three consecutive defeats after their 4-3 defeat to Bayern Munich
Manager Erik ten Hag has largely remained cool despite the difficult start to the season
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was among the former United bosses exhausted by the job
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No United manager has matched that miserable run of defeats in the eight years since, but Erik ten Hag can do it at Burnley on Saturday on what promises to be a very uncomfortable evening for the Dutchman and his beleaguered players.
The Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich in midweek followed defeats to Brighton and Arsenal. Spurs’ victory over United at the Tottenham Stadium last month makes it four defeats in the first six games.
Let’s be clear: Ten Hag has not yet ventured into basketball territory. Not even close. The Dutchman shows the same composure as he guided United through a torrid start to last season before finishing third and winning the Carabao Cup.
But the first small cracks are starting to become visible in the quiet exterior. Ten Hag’s assessment of the defeats against Arsenal and Spurs was separate from the regular picture. One man who spoke yesterday about not making excuses lamented United’s luck in not being awarded penalties in either match.
After Brighton deservedly won at Old Trafford last weekend, Ten Hag said the boos that followed his decision to replace Rasmus Hojlund were ‘positive’ for his new £72m signing, conveniently ignoring that it was negative for all others from a United. persuasion.
And when asked on Friday if he knows why the players don’t bother defending as a team after scoring 14 goals in five games, he laughed and said: ‘No.’
To be fair to Ten Hag, he doesn’t want to make excuses for United’s poor start, nor throw his players under the bus. But he’s all about control and discipline, and right now things seem to be getting away from him.
He continues: ‘When you are in a period like us, you always ask yourself these questions as a manager. My job is to let them do the work. I always tell my players that we attack with 11 and defend with 11. If one or two players don’t do their job, it’s like a deck of cards.
“It’s always a concern if we don’t run. Is it about them not having made the right decisions or is it about willingness?’
Cracks are starting to appear in Ten Hag’s calm appearance as Man United’s problems mount
Ten Hag claimed the booing of Rasmus Hojlund’s substitution against Brighton was ‘positive’
Injuries piled up at United, with Raphael Varane making a big miss in the heart of the defense
When asked if he is surprised by the scale of the challenge he faces, Ten Hag replied: ‘No. It’s my second year and I know it doesn’t always go up. You will have holes and you will be stronger for it as long as you stay together. That’s what we do. The dressing room, all the staff, the coaches, the medical staff, everyone is united and at United you fight.”
Although the rallying cry within Old Trafford in recent days has been about unity, Ten Hag was asked about dressing room leaks behind several stories that emerged this week. The players have their own suspicions.
Then there are the off-field distractions that have clouded the early stages of the season.
On Friday, the manager was again forced to answer questions about the United takeover saga, Jadon Sancho’s continued exclusion from first-team training and the Mail Sports story about the growing influence of the representatives of Ten Hag, Sports Entertainment Group, in the club’s transfer activities.
Then there is Antony, unavailable and still in Brazil, battling accusations of violence against former partners – which he denies – and the lingering scent of the Mason Greenwood saga.
And then, above all, there is the injury situation. United were without ten players in Munich, but Mason Mount, Raphael Varane, Sofyan Amrabat and Harry Maguire are close to a return. Varane in particular was greatly missed.
The last thing Ten Hag needed was his goalkeeper Andre Onana to throw them in against Bayern Munich. That was followed by a viral clip of Scott McTominay being avoided by the Allianz referee – 10 minutes after coming on.
Ten Hag needs to take a break, and quickly. His next six games are against Burnley, Crystal Palace (in the Premier League and Carabao Cup respectively), Galatasaray at home, Brentford and Sheffield United. The opportunity to make a turn is there.
The public feud between Ten Hag and Jadon Sancho caused a new distraction at Man United
André Onana’s mistake against Bayern in the summer was the last thing Ten Hag needed
Ten Hag desperately needs a victory over Burnley at Turf Moor to ease the rumors of a crisis
But if there is no shame in losing to Bayern, Arsenal and Tottenham, patience among supporters may be running out if there is no significant improvement from this run of games.
It’s shocking how quickly United fell into crisis in September, and it could get worse. Turf Moor is an unforgiving place at the best of times, especially under the spotlight. In Burnley they still talk about the night they toppled Sir Alex Ferguson’s side there with Robbie Blake’s thumping winner, and the locals will be baying for blood again.
United are unbeaten in their last seven visits to Turf Moor, winning five.
Ten Hag urgently needs a win on Saturday evening.
“There are no easy games, especially against Burnley,” he said. ‘We know how intensely they play football. But at United you have to win every game, so that doesn’t change anything.”