ERIK TEN HAG’S future as Manchester United manager continues to be in serious doubt despite the Red Devil holding Aston Villa to a draw on Sunday afternoon.
United have made a shocking start to the new season, winning just two of their opening seven Premier League games.
The Red Devils are also winless in the Europa League after draws with FC Twente and Porto.
United’s hierarchy are reportedly scheduled to meet up 48 hours after today’s match at Villa Park amid growing uncertainty around Ten Hag’s position at the club.
Should the Dutchman lose his job, the likes of Gareth Southgate, Thomas Tuchel, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Graham Potter have been linked with the post.
- RESULT: Aston Villa 0-0 Man Utd
- TV channel/live stream: Sky Sports Main Event/NOW
- Aston Villa team: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Pau, Digne, Philogene, Barkley, Tielemans, Bailey, Rogers, Watkins
- Man Utd team: Onana, Mazraoui, Maguire, Fernandes, Hojlund, Rashford, Eriksen, Garnacho, Dalot, Evans, Mainoo
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Maguire injury update
Harry Maguire was spotted leaving Villa Park wearing a protective boot.
It appears the centre back has suffered a serious injury in today’s game.
United have yet to confirm the severity of Maguire’s injury.
He had to be taken off at half-time in the game against Aston Villa.
Ten Hag reacts
Erik Ten Hag is confident he has the backing of the hierarchy at Old Trafford.
We always speak. We speak every week.
“We are all on board, together, on one page. We know what we are working to, it is a long-term project. We have to keep improving.
“We proved in two very tough away games that this is a team. We showed our togetherness, our spirit, but also the belief and faith we have.”
Erik Ten Hag
Prem low for Ten Hag
Today’s draw at Villa Park means Manchester United have just eight points to show from their opening seven Premier League games this season.
It is the fewest that the Red Devils have mustered this stage of a league campaign since 1989-90 (7) when they finished 13th in the old First Division.
Very little x-citement on show
The combined expected goals total between Aston Villa and Manchester United in today’s game was just 0.94 – the lowest in a Premier League match so far this season.
Indeed, the last game in the competition to see a lower combined total was Arsenal’s 1-0 home win against Manchester City in October 2023 (0.87).
Good Evans! United’s standout star speaks
Jonny Evans’ inclusion in the Manchester United line-up was a huge talking point before the game, but the 36-year-old put in an assured performance in defence to ensure a clean sheet – and earn himself the Man of the Match award.
Speaking at full time, the veteran centre-back admitted that the display still wasn’t quite want United hoped for, but it was a major improvement on recent showings.
It wasn’t perfect. We didn’t pass the ball as well as we would have liked to, but we’ve got a point against a very good side away from home. After conceding three in Europe, we were perhaps defensive-minded and hoped to catch them on the counter-attack which we nearly did at the end.
Jonny Evans
Match stats from Villa Park
It’s now three Premier League games in a row without a goal for Manchester United.
Full time – Aston Villa 0-0 Man Utd
Thank heavens for that.
A really desperate game draws to a close, and it’s doubtful there would be a goal if they continued playing for another 90 minutes.
Short on energy and excitement, lacking composure and creativity, there was close to zero attacking ability on show.
The best it got was a Bruno Fernandes free-kick against the crossbar, while Marcus Rashford was lucky to escape a red card for two clumsy fouls in quick succession.
Aston Villa 0-0 Man Utd
90+7. Blow the whistle, referee. This has been dire.
Aston Villa 0-0 Man Utd
90+4. And now a huge opportunity for United!
With Villa committing men upfield, the visitors break two-on-one with Garnacho in possession on the right.
The Argentine just needs to weight his pass correctly to play in Fernandes, but his composure is really poor and he instead directs it straight at the single Villa defender.
Awful.
Aston Villa 0-0 Man Utd
90+3. That was the chance!!
A big, big moment comes and goes for Jaden Philogene, who gets on the end of a low delivery across the United penalty area that evades everyone else.
With a huge target to aim at, the young winger fires his shot straight at Dalot, who had actually turned his back on the ball.
The Portuguese player takes the congratulations of his teammates, but I’m not sure it was the best defending.
Aston Villa 0-0 Man Utd
90+2. Ironic cheers great the ref’s return to the pitch, and he comes complete with a new battery pack for his walkie-talkie.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa have a free-kick wide on the left. Has either team been unsettled by the delay?
Aston Villa 0-0 Man Utd
90. The fourth official’s board goes up to state six minutes of stoppage time, but it’s going to be more because the referee is still having his equipment fiddled with.
Meanwhile, the natives are getting restless.
Aston Villa 0-0 Man Utd
88. Referee Rob Jones heads over to the touchline to fix an issue with his communication equipment.
It’s a disaster for everyone watching as the realisation creeps in that this game is going to go on much longer than is necessary.
Aston Villa 0-0 Man Utd
87. Lindelof, not content with putting two hands in the back of Duran, reacts slowly to the quickly taken free-kick by chopping down Rogers.
The fifth Manchester United player to receive a caution.
Aston Villa 0-0 Man Utd
86. This game makes the new Joker movie look like a five-star thriller.
Aston Villa 0-0 Man Utd
85. A substitution apiece.
Casemiro comes on for Kobbie Mainoo while Ian Maatsen replaces Lucas Digne.
The Villa replacement gets in on the act immediately by overrunning the ball out of play for a United goalkick.
Aston Villa 0-0 Man Utd
83. Jonny Evans has been the best player on the pitch today.
Hopefully Sir Jim is drawing up a new four-year contract as we speak.
Aston Villa 0-0 Man Utd
82. Zirkzee was only introduced in the 64th minute, but is moving about as though he took part in the Great Birmingham Run this morning.
Aston Villa 0-0 Man Utd
80. Another uneventful corner comes and goes.
The highlight of that one was the referee having to step in to stop some shoving between Pau Torres and Jonny Evans.
Aston Villa 0-0 Man Utd
78. The excitement levels go up as soon as Duran gets on the ball.
While the Villa Park crowd urge the substitute to shoot, he instead lays the ball wide into the path of Watkins.
The England striker drives to the byline, and wins a corner when his low cross is turned behind by Lindelof.
Aston Villa 0-0 Man Utd
76. Digne’s reputation as a dead ball specialist is diminishing by the minute.
His set-piece deliveries have been woeful today, and now he’s just curled a free-kick from a promising position 15 yards over the crossbar.
Still, it was a never a foul by De Ligt on Watkins in the first place so justice has probably been done.
Aston Villa 0-0 Man Utd
74. There are half-hearted appeals for a handball from the Holte End as the ball thumps into the chest of Jonny Evans.
Wishful thinking has very much become the order of the day.
Aston Villa 0-0 Man Utd
73. Diego Carlos will continue for now, but a concerned Unai Emery is keeping a close eye on proceedings on the touchline.
Aston Villa 0-0 Man Utd
72. On the stretch, Diego Carlos diverts an Alejandro Garnacho cross into the arms of Emiliano Martinez.
But it’s not been a day for centre-backs, and the Brazilian – an early replacement for Ezri Konsa – lays out on the turf with a look of discomfort on his face.
Will he be the latest player to limp out of action?
Aston Villa 0-0 Man Utd
70. The lack of attacking quality in this game so far is summed up by Morgan Rogers spurning an otherwise excellent move by spooning a first time cross behind for a goalkick.
Can either team find a way through in the final 20 minutes?
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
