Following Manchester United's 0-3 home defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, Samuel Luckhurst, chief Manchester United follow up reporter for the Manchester Evening News, has published an article stating outright that Ten Hagar's tenure at United may be nearing its end.
The article noted that the lights at Old Trafford dimmed as journalists filed into the press room after the match, which also seemed to signal that Ten Hagar's time as United manager might be coming to an end. After shaking hands with rival manager Postecoglou and the referees, he wandered around the pitch alone until he came across a United player, and both sides simply saluted. He then applauded and thanked the fans who hadn't left the stadium early, but the gratitude hardly seemed to cover the loss and helplessness he felt inside.
Ten Hagar has not had an easy road to coaching at Manchester United. Although he managed to defuse several crises last season, this strategy no longer works this season. United have lost more games than they have won in the league, with a negative goal difference, which clearly does not satisfy the fans and the club's management.
The article also mentions that United had lost faith in the managerial issue over the summer. Despite the power vacuum that existed at the time, the lack of a strong decision maker to fend off the fickle fans and the introduction of a new face to the manager's office at the Carrington training base, the Inglis team opted to keep Ten Hagar. However, the decision didn't seem to bring the desired results and instead, United's performances in the league worsened.
Ten Hagar has looked elusive in terms of personnel selection and rotation, and his poor reinforcements have been allowed to go ahead for the third summer in a row. Against Tottenham Hotspur, United were one player away from fielding their strongest starting lineup, but the team's midfield looked empty and was easily broken through. In addition, Ten Hagar postponed new signing Ugarte's first Premier League start, a decision that is hard to fathom.
