Ganesh Kendale
Ten Hag claimed the red card shown to captain Bruno Fernandes three minutes before half-time “changed the game”. It did not. United’s manager is deluding only himself if he believes this. It made United’s task even harder, but Spurs were threatening to run riot even before Fernandes’ dismissal.
If it was decided to stage a world straw-clutching championship, Ten Hag would have a good chance of winning with that one.
And let’s not forget this was a Spurs side stripped of their injured talisman Son Heung-min. Son’s replacement Timo Werner actually spared United further punishment, confirming he remains a willing trier but a thoroughly unreliable finisher, twice shooting lamely at United keeper Andre Onana when clean through.
It was a tough day for Ten Hag’s latest signing, Manuel Ugarte, who got nowhere near the Spurs midfield, while Joshua Zirkzee, hooked at half-time, as yet shows no sign of adding any of the cutting edge he was bought for at a cost of £36.54m.
United now lie in 12th in the Premier League having lost three of their first six games, the figures adding to the growing belief that the end game is looming into view for Ten Hag. They are ominous.
With memories of the 3-0 loss to Liverpool still fresh, United have now lost consecutive home league games without scoring a goal.
The last time this happened the manager, in that instance Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, was sacked soon after losing 5-0 to Liverpool and 2-0 to Manchester City in November 2021.
United were wide open on Sunday, failing to press Spurs to any effect. Dejan Kulusevski alone created nine chances, the most by a visiting player in a Premier League game at Old Trafford since records started in 2003-04.
And the general decline can be underscored by the fact United have now lost 23 Premier League matches by three or more goals in the last 424 games, more than they did in 1,035 league games under Sir Alex Ferguson, when it happened on 22 occasions.
United’s current total of seven points is their joint fewest after six games of a Premier League season and they have only scored fewer goals once at this stage – four in 2007-08 – than they have so far this term.
These statistics lie like wreckage around Ten Hag’s feet.
