Erik ten Hag faces heavy pressure after Man United’s series of erratic results. The Red Devils need three points against Fulham to stop the downward trend.

“Finally, Man United will return,” Pep Guardiola commented about Man United in early 2023. The Spanish captain’s statement seemed to suggest a bright future for the Old Trafford team.

However, reality is not as expected. After an impressive 2022/2023 season, Erik ten Hag is facing a mess at Man United. After 10 Premier League rounds this season, the Red Devils ranked 8th in the rankings, winning 5 and receiving 5 defeats.

The last two consecutive 0-3 defeats pushed Man United back into crisis after a short period of good play. These statistics prove how unstable the Red Devils are.

According to Sky Sports, Man United is the team with the most defeats after the first 10 matches in the Premier League, since the 1986/1987 season.

Man United’s identity and playing style have become controversial issues. After more than a year of leading the Red Devils, Ten Hag has still not been able to help the home team form a distinct playing style with a clear identity.

“I’m not saying the team has to win every week. However, we have to determine a specific style of play, know who we are. We still haven’t figured out how Man United plays,” commented Jamie Carragher.

The organizational and executive structure of Man United’s leadership has faced many question marks in recent times. Many opinions say that Ten Hag does not have the necessary support from the team behind it.

“For a big club like Man United, you cannot entrust all tasks and work to the shoulders of a head coach. No matter how good that person is, I’m not sure if they can handle it all,” Ralf Rangnick told Sky Sports in April 2022.

“Liverpool, Man City, Chelsea…. Football teams have smart personnel in charge of different areas such as health, recruitment, etc. This is an issue that Man United must pay attention to.”

Sancho was removed from the Man United squad.
Besides professional factors and field achievements; The problems on the sidelines, invisibly, greatly affected the image and dressing room of Man United.

Mason Greenwood’s Scandal, Antony; The discord between Ten Hag and Jadon Sancho created a negative impact on Man United.

The battle with Fulham this weekend has great significance for Ten Hag’s work. Man United cannot make mistakes if they don’t want things to get out of control.

Man United needs to win against Fulham.
Meanwhile, Ten Hag needs a convincing victory to dispel doubts and relieve pressure. In the worst scenario, another loss will severely shake Ten Hag’s head coach position. It is entirely possible for the former Ajax captain to receive a dismissal order.

The match against Fulham became a day of reckoning for Ten Hag. Advantage for Man United when Fulham is not in good form this season. After 10 rounds, the London team ranked 14th on the rankings, collecting 12 points.

Ten Hag received orders to win. Three points will help Man United temporarily dispel criticism and give Ten Hag more time and opportunity to overcome the storm.