It was beyond laughable, last weekend, when Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag was still talking about his side’s top four/UEFA Champions League qualification chances. They have lost even more ground in that ambition, and yet Ten Hag still denies that his club is out of the race.
After a 2-2 draw with AFC Bournemouth yesterday, the Red Devils have won just one of their past seven matches, across all competitions.
Their lone victory was the FA Cup quarterfinal triumph over Liverpool on St. Patrick’s Day. It was thought, at the time that the win might have saved Ten Hag from getting sacked in the summer, but now it’s all up for speculation.
The wheels have truly come off for United since, as they are 10 points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa and fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur with only six games left to play. On top of that, they have also fallen behind Newcastle United, and now sit seventh in the table. With three different teams to leap, and just 18 possible points to try and do it, their goose is cooked.
A reporter asked Ten Hag if a spot in next season’s Champions League is beyond their reach now, and he responded: “No. No, I didn’t say that.”
It kind of insults your intelligence, making the claim that United could still finish fourth, so Ten Hag should have answered that question differently.
United’s largest number of defeats in a single Premier League season is 12; the mark they’re currently at right now. If they lose just one more of these final six, they will set a new club record.
They have also surrendered the second most shots given up in the league this season behind only the basement side Sheffield United.
Naturally, Ten Hag was asked about the potential of United to fall even lower in the table. He refused to answer.
“I don’t take that question,” Ten Hag said. “That is not important at this moment.”
If they drop to eighth or lower it would then mark the club’s worst finish in the entire Premier League era.
It would be hard to see Ten Hag keep his job if that happens. Especially given all the changes that have been made in the front office above him.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to Ravens Wire, part of the USA Today SMG’s NFL Wire Network and the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and the Washington Times. You can follow him on Twitter.