Erik ten Hag sack pressure looms after Man Utd's summer transfer failure

Erik ten Hag will hope his side return to winning ways against Tottenham Hotspur after Manchester United fell to consecutive draws against FC Twente and Crystal Palace

Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United future will be back in the balance if the Reds fail to beat Tottenham.

United have won just two of their opening five Premier League games this season and were held to a 1-1 Europa Leaguedraw by Dutch minnows FC Twente at Old Trafford in midweek.

Ten Hag was given an unconvincing vote of confidence by owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe in the summer after a review which led United to talk to several potential successors. After spending another £220million in the transfer market, the United boss needs his team to improve drastically to lift the pressure.

There is talk in Holland that Ten Hag is under big pressure. Dutch legend Wim Kieft, who is now a respected pundit in Holland, said: “Erik ten Hag always talks about the process at United - and you have to conclude that he still has a very long way to go with his players.

“If you look objectively, you also have to conclude that Ten Hag did not manage to bring any real top players to Old Trafford in the summer - and he didn’t already have any world-class players at his disposal. Whether he will experience more time remains to be seen. The draw against Twente came on top of a dramatic start in the Premier League.’’

Kieft would like to see fellow countrymen find glory in the Premier League, but he does not hold back criticizing Ten Hag for his disastrous spending and picking the wrong players.

”Ten Hag's fate in Manchester lies in the hands of many of these guys he himself chose. Not immediately a reassuring thought. It won't make him sleep peacefully.

"At the big clubs in the Champions League, you mostly see mature, top strikers. That Manchester United have to make do with Joshua Zirkzee says that the club just cannot manage to join the top level in Europe."

It is perhaps little surprise then, that ahead of the game against Tottenham, Ten Hag called for patience for his younger players to develop. Finding consistency will be key.

“We made the choice for younger players and you can’t expect them to be at the [top] level," the United boss said. "We have to improve them and they have to improve themselves and we have to find a team that can be successful on a consistent basis.

"This team, in the last two years, has shown what they can do with patience. With patience we can win trophies and now we have to get more consistent.”

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