Spineless Manchester United have no identity and defeat to Tottenham could get Erik ten Hag sacked

Today at 03:51 PM

This was the type of spineless performance that gets managers sacked.

This was the sort of entry in a club's Hall of Shame that comes with significant, painful consequences beyond points dropped.

Whether Manchester United players' litany of error of weaknesses costs Erik ten Hag his job immediately, in the international break or later there can be no doubt that this has badly damaged whatever remaining credibility he has here.

At another club, with less patient fans, Ten Hag would have been history by now.

United supporters were admirably defiant, backing their team. If only United players had shown similar defiance.

The only players to emerge with reputation intact were Andre Onana, who made a couple of decent saves but was otherwise left exposed by a porous defence, and Alejandro Garnacho, who almost snapped a post with a volley and never stopped running. 

When a team is otherwise collectively so awful the finger of blame is inevitably pointed at the manager. It was difficult to work out Ten Hag's tactics, whether possession-based or counter-attacking.

United have no obvious identity, other than a look of fear. 

By contrast, Ange Postecoglou had Tottenham in typically bold mood.

To dare is to do and they did.

Spurs were almost 2-1-4-3 in possession. Postecoglou's full-backs, Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie, pushed down the flanks or stepped into midfield.

Spurs were brave, on the front foot, their enterprise embodied by the outstanding Dejan Kulusevski, who created nine chances. Spurs were as good as United were bad. 

To appreciate fully the wretched nature of this performance, and why it further shreds Ten Hag's authority, United fans need only the briefest history lesson.

They have sat and stood through some shocking reverses here, even in the Sir Alex Ferguson era, including a 3-0 loss to a Mo Johnston-inspired Everton in 1992, a 4-1 to Liverpool in 2009 capped by Andrea Dossena lobbing Edwin van der Sar, and a 6-1 to Mario ‘why always me’ Balotelli and Manchester City in 2011. 

These were few and far between under Ferguson, whose teams could usually be relied on to play with some fight even in defeat.

The total absence of any resolve against Spurs lent even more infamy to this scoreline, which actually flattered United.

It could be easily set amongst the worst displays of the post-Ferguson era here.

Those willing David Moyes to be successful began losing faith early with defeat to West Brom in September 2013 and then a 3-0 to Liverpool later in the season when Luis Suarez ran riot and Moyes was on thin ice. As thin as Ten Hag is now. 

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's reign was undermined by shocking defending in the 6-1 humbling by Spurs here in 2020.

Solskjaer began losing his grip on the wheel in a 5-0 rout by Liverpool in 2021. Yet this felt worse.

Ten Hag has been given money to rebuild and the foundations look wobbly. 

For Spurs, arriving on the back of three wins on the spin, they must have been confident. Lads, it's United.

That's the problem with United now. Nobody fears them. That's the problem for Ten Hag. He stood alone, in the rain, watching his team playing without any authority, or discipline and incapable of changing things. 

Remarkably, the fans remained supportive. When Marcus Rashford failed to keep in Kobbie Mainoo's over-hit pass, they cheered his effort.

When Rashford then over-ran the ball, the fans in the front row leant forward and shouted encouragement.

Those inside Old Trafford never turned on the players, nor Ten Hag, who was even applauded by an admittedly emptying Stretford End as he walked towards the tunnel after the final whistle. They're loyal. But for how long? 

Because this performance was an insult to those who pay good money and expect at least wholehearted commitment in return.

They don't expect Rashford and Garnacho to hesitate and Micky van de Ven to pinch possession and storm upfield, squaring for the unmarked Brennan Johnson to score after three minutes. 

They expect more discipline than demonstrated by both their hapless full-backs, Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui, both soon booked.

Another three were cautioned, Lisandro Martinez, Manuel Ugarte and Mason Mount, while Bruno Fernandes was sent off.

The sight of United's captain trudging away provided the fitting image of a leaderless side, on the field and in the dug-out.

Fernandes could consider himself unfortunate, having slipped when challenging James Maddison, but raising his foot looked an obvious cynical attempt to stop the Spurs midfielder advancing. It could have been yellow but didn't look a clear and obvious error by Chris Kavanagh. VAR was never going to overrule. 

Kavanagh was booed by United fans but Ten Hag could not hide behind the decision.

His team were poor in the preceding 41 minutes. United fans expected more fight in the second half, drawing on a sense of injustice, but they fell further behind, again from a mistake.

Lisandro Martinez dived in, Johnson sprinted down the right, and Kulusevski applied an elegant volleyed finish. 

United fans still sang. Yet they were again let down by their players 14 minutes from time.

Lucas Bergvall curled a corner over, and United's marking was non-existent. Pape Matar Sarr flicked on and Dominic Solanke applied the finishing touch.

Many United fans had seen enough. "Is there a fire drill?" enquired the jubilant travelling fans.

No, but the alarms are sounding for Ten Hag.