'We need some time' says Ten Hag as United decide to stick with the Dutchman

Erik ten Hag has urged patience as he and his Manchester United squad work to reverse their poor start to the 2024/25 Premier League season.

The Red Devils have accumulated just seven points from their opening six games – the club's joint-fewest after six games of a Premier League season – and currently lie 12th in the table following their woeful 3-0 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

Despite the pressure on Ten Hag mounting, BBC Sport confirmed earlier on Monday that he will remain in charge for this week’s fixtures against Port and Aston Villa, as the club's hierarchy will always consider such situations carefully, rather than making a decision immediately after a bad result.

This news came after Ten Hag told the media he was "not thinking" about losing his job, emphasizing that the club "needs time" to see through the board’s commitment to him after backing him during the summer.

"We all made the decision to stay together as ownership and a leadership group in the summer,” said Ten Hag.

"We made the decision from after a clear review what we have to improve as an organisation and how we want to construct a squad.

"We knew it will take some time, because of how the [transfer] window went, some players late in like [Manuel] Ugarte, also we have to make some improvement in the organisation, we still have to deal with some injuries, also from some impact players.

"I think we will get better there. We need some time. We are all on one page or in one boat together, the ownership, the leadership group, the staff and the players' group as well. I don't have that concern."

Since Ten Hag’s arrival in 2022, Manchester United have spent over $800 million on new signings in an effort to build a squad suited to his quick, counter-pressing style of football.

Yet, despite the heavy investment, United still struggle to fully embrace his philosophy, continuing to make basic errors on the pitch.

A clear example of this disconnect came after United's Europa League draw with FC Twente on Thursday, when Christian Eriksen's post-match comments hinted at deeper issues within the squad.

Speaking after the match, Eriksen told TNT Sports: “It’s disappointing. We wanted more in the end but it wasn’t good enough. They looked like they wanted it more than us and that can’t be right. That was said in the dressing room.”

For a player of Eriksen's experience to admit that another team "wanted it more" suggests serious underlying problems.

His words should have served as a wake-up call ahead of Sunday’s match against Tottenham, but United’s lacklustre performance only validated the Dane’s concerns, in what can be described as one of their worst showings in recent memory.

Time is running out for Ten Hag. If he fails to secure a win either in their Europa League clash against Porto on Thursday or against an in-form Aston Villa on Sunday, United may have no choice but to part ways with him.