Erik ten Hag reviews Fulham win
Manchester United’s victory against Fulham might have shown exactly why the club’s board members still have so much faith in Erik ten Hag. The Red Devils eased some of the pressure on themselves with a late 1-0 win at Craven Cottage courtesy of captain Bruno Fernandes’ 91st-minute goal.
United had lost eight of their 15 matches this season across all competitions before the trip to Fulham. But Fernandes prevented more frustration and sent the away end into a frenzy with his stoppage-time winner for three points which came in the absence of the injured Marcus Rashford.
The victory was a significant one for United and more specifically Ten Hag. It was his 50th win from 78 matches in charge of the club, having taken over 18 months ago after arriving from Ajax.
No other manager in United’s entire history has reached 50 wins quicker than the Dutchman. Ernest Mangnall, who coached United from 1903 to 1912 and won the club their first ever top-flight title in 1907-08, is the only other boss to do so as quick as Ten Hag.
DON’T MISS: Man Utd ‘preparing Antony swap deal’ as Erik ten Hag gives up on Brazilian
After that, Jose Mourinho managed 50 wins in 81 games before his tenure tailed off badly. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer enjoyed a quickfire turnaround as he improved the mood post-Mourinho and managed 50 wins after 92 matches.
That Ten Hag has secured the milestone in such rapid fashion suggests why United are so desperate not to sack him. While externally there has been mounting speculation about the 53-year-old’s future at Old Trafford.
But internally the club are convinced Ten Hag remains the right man in the long term. United won the Carabao Cup last season, reached the FA Cup final and finished third in the Premier League in an encouraging debut campaign with him at the helm.
Click here to join our WhatsApp community to be the first to receive breaking and exclusive Man Utd news.
- Advert-free experience without interruptions.
- Rocket-fast speedy loading pages.
- Exclusive & Unlimited access to all our content.
United still have much work to do before Ten Hag can breathe easier again. They face must-win league games against Luton Town and Everton as well as crucial Champions League contests against Copenhagen and Galatasaray between now and December.
The United boss said post-match: “In this week we were definitely not happy with our standards. Today we improved a little bit, but to win every game you have to bring that level, show you are hungry and passionate inside. When we bring that we will have very good results.”
The disciplined tactician must now make sure those improved hungry performances follow, and with them better results. The United board certainly have sufficient faith Ten Hag can do just that. And they’ll hope it isn’t too long until he hits 100 wins.
Source: Read Full Article
