Ten Hag is encountering perhaps his most significant challenge since taking charge of Man Utd, with his team currently positioned eighth in the Premier League, enduring one of their worst-ever starts to a season.
In the recent Manchester derby, Man City effortlessly outplayed Ten Hag’s side, intensifying the mounting pressure on him in the upcoming weeks. Speculation about Ten Hag’s future has been on the rise, particularly with the potential arrival of Sir Jim Ratcliffe at the club.
Despite Man Utd falling well below anticipated performance this season, Hutton believes Ten Hag has accumulated enough credibility to weather this challenging phase.
“Looking at what he accomplished last season,” Hutton conveyed to Football Insider, “although it might not meet the expectations of all Man United fans based on their historic performance, it’s a reflection of their current standing. They are reconstructing from the ground up, and that demands time. They’ve invested substantially, and while some signings haven’t panned out yet, rumors circulate around big clubs, especially during takeovers. Sometimes, it’s just hearsay.”
Ten Hag urgently needs a streak of favorable results. At present, Man Utd’s projected point total for the season is notably low, which would have secured them a 10th-place finish last season.
Despite Hutton’s belief that Ten Hag should be given further time, he acknowledges that if there’s no improvement, the club might be compelled to make a change.
“If there’s a significant downturn in results and they drop out of European contention, they might contemplate a change,” Hutton added. “He’s relatively new in the role, so I believe he’ll be given time. But at big clubs, it’s challenging if you’re not winning. At present, he’s in a reasonably stable position.”
Man Utd’s next three Premier League matches pit them against Fulham, Luton, and Everton. Should they fail to secure a decent points haul from these games, Ten Hag could face a precarious situation.