Can Erik ten Hag survive as Manchester United manager again?

If Erik ten Hag felt he was being watched as Manchester United manager, he made no sign of it as he took to the pitch at Carrington for a final training session before a match that took on added significance.

He went around his squad to exchange friendly greetings, patting and shaking hands with Manual Ugarte, Diogo Dalot, Christian Eriksen, Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford. There was a lightness to the mood that you might expect when TV cameras are rolling, but it was noteworthy nonetheless. “Let’s play,” Rasmus Hojlund demanded as the balls came to light.

United face Porto at the Estadio do Dragao tonight in a Europa League competition that may not determine their progress in the competition, but may go some way towards influencing the perception of Ten Hag in the eyes of fans and, more importantly, those making decisions at the club .

Members of the United hierarchy have expressed calm and togetherness since Sunday’s 3-0 defeat to Tottenham put the season in danger. After supporting Ten Hag in the summer, they want to remain patient in a process that they predicted would have some declines. They see the work done in training by Ten Hag and his revamped coaching team, which includes Ruud van Nistelrooy, Rene Hake and Andreas Georgson, and appreciate the level of tactical detail.

However, another bad performance in Portugal could plunge United into crisis and test the solution.

Sunday’s trip to Villa Park is equally important, both because the Premier League is the most obvious route to Champions League qualification and because of the first-hand experience of what Unai Emery has built by comparison.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe plans to attend the match in Birmingham – it will be his second match of the season after keeping his head in his hands during the 3-0 defeat to Liverpool – and his strong opinions were certainly felt at all levels of the club. Ultimately, it will be Ratcliffe who will decide the fate of Ten Hag, along with Sir Dave Brailsford and Joel Glazer, following the recommendations of chief executive Omar Berrada and sporting director Dan Ashworth.

There is daily dialogue between key figures and communication with Ten Hag has been normal this week. However, results will determine decisions, and the October international break gives two weeks for reflection. Typically, club directors who witnessed the poor form of their teams decided to act during these periods, keeping in mind the space to find replacements.

That question will certainly be asked, at least externally, in the event of Ten Haga’s defeat to Porto and Aston Villa, although several sources claim that those at the top of Manchester United are taking a long-term view of what will happen over the next four days.

Speculation has been in the spotlight that Van Nistelrooy’s name will be a candidate for an interim promotion, with some inside the club believing this is a possibility if Ratcliffe applies to Ten Hag. Van Nistelrooy impressed players and directors with his presence and communication.

It is worth remembering, however, that Van Nistelrooy was a Ten Hag appointment, not an executive proposal. The two Dutchmen had not worked together before, but after deciding to refresh the staff, Ten Hag called Van Nistelrooy. The former United forward accepted the chance to be an assistant, appreciating the stress of management during his only season at PSV Eindhoven. Being number 1 at Old Trafford is a completely different level of pressure.

Ten Hag, regardless of the criticism leveled at him, has demonstrated unwavering resilience. He has maintained his balance despite the downturn and this week he abandoned the same approach after what many would consider his worst moment as United manager.

On Monday morning, he arrived at Carrington in almost complete darkness at around 7.30am and, together with his staff and players, conducted a video analysis of the Spurs match to highlight areas for improvement. He later gave an interview to Sky Sports as part of his broadcast duties ahead of Villa. This would usually come close to the match, but he will be giving his pre-match press conference against Villa at the Estadio do Dragao after the Porto match, so he has moved his broadcast duties forward to be able to carry them out in England.

Sky released the footage on Wednesday, with Ten Hag explaining that he watched the match once to “see where the problems are and then find solutions.” He added: “Sometimes we step back a little to find a deeper understanding, and I’ve seen that on the pitch as well. I have my opinion. You always have to keep the faith. Stay in the game. This is the most important message we have to convey, because if you lose faith, you lose everything.”

Late on Wednesday evening in Portugal, after arriving at a press conference after a much-delayed flight, Ten Hag stressed that he talks “every day” with the club’s football management about how to improve the club. He also said his video analysis of the Spurs defeat highlighted the need for players to “remain calm and composed, stay in the game and stick to the plan.”

Ten Hag is known to have sensed Micky van de Ven’s quick drive and Brennan Johnson’s goal gave his players confidence and led to a rush in play. This week, his focus was on helping his players maintain a strong mentality despite setbacks. However, it is a recurring problem, with controversies seen in the 4-0 loss to Crystal Palace last season and the 7-0 defeat at Anfield in his debut season, to name just two.

Whether his players are able to run the system he wants, understand clearly enough what is being asked of them, or believe those instructions are issues that Ten Hag must address to obtain positive results.

These kinds of topics are discussed with management in football, but Ten Hag is responsible for results. Directors have to deal with other aspects. On Tuesday, Ashworth and Jason Wilcox, United’s technical director, watched United’s under-21 team play Hertha Berlin in the Premier League International Cup at the Peninsula Stadium in Salford.

They were joined in the stands by Darren Fletcher, one of Ten Hag’s coaches, and academy director Nick Cox. The presence of Ashworth and Wilcox is a sign of the new director’s united approach when it comes to choosing a path for academy players. Fletcher always took a keen interest in him, but his focus was also personal as his son Tyler played as a 60th-minute substitute.

Harry Amass, who performed well during United’s tour of the USA and proved popular with fans, again showed his technical skills at left-back in the 1-1 draw with Hertha. However, at 17 years old and in his second year of studies, it is believed that he is not yet ready for the physicality of playing in the first team. The step from youth competition to the Premier League is a huge one and despite United’s difficulties in their position, Ten Hag will continue to benefit from experienced players in their squad.

Diogo Dalot has had a difficult start to the campaign after winning the Player of the Year award last season. He made a terrible lapse in judgment by allowing Brennan Johnson to run unscathed and deny Van de Ven after just three minutes, before conceding a penalty at Southampton. To mitigate the impact, he’s playing with his smaller lineup after the toughest schedule of any outfielder last season and this one.

Toby Collyer playing at left-back in the Carabao Cup win over Barnsley showed there is a current lack of options, but Manchester United have opted not to sign the area in the transfer window as Tyrell Malacia and Luke Shaw are expected to be in good form this time around same time after an international match. break.

These types of decisions are made at board level, in consultation with the manager, so those at the top understand the possible consequences for Ten Hag on the pitch.

Ten Hag received some good news on Tuesday: The FA declared United a success following a three-match suspension for Bruno Fernandes following a red card for a serious foul. Some at United were unsure of winning the appeal given the VAR ruling made during the match, but the club’s written submission to the hearing, with Fernandes’ perspective, convinced the regulatory committee that there had been a “clear error”.

Fernandes has been below standard so far this season and there are questions about his role in a team trying to control possession, but Ten Hag would much prefer him to be available for selection. On Wednesday morning, Fernandes was in the middle of a training exercise open to the media, which involved three teams wearing different colored shirts trying to beat each other in terms of passing sequences and goals.

All members of the Ten Hag team were on the small pitch at the same time, with each side changing their assignments depending on who had possession of the ball. Points were awarded for completed one-touch passes when the opponent was pressing, and goals could be scored. Hake barked instructions and wrote them down.

Fans want to see this type of intensity and aggression translate into games. Benni McCarthy, Ten Hag’s coach for two years at United before leaving this summer, suggested the United manager was struggling to inspire himself in this way.

“I believe that in modern football, players want to see a little more passion in their coach,” McCarthy told Portuguese outlet ZEROZERO. They must feel that the coach is with them and wants to fight by their side. Tactically, I think Erik is on top. He lacks a bit of that fire, that passion. That’s the difference between him and me.

These are the kinds of concerns players have expressed privately since Ten Hag took over, and after a bad start to the campaign, for some those concerns remain. However, they are no more serious now than last year, which Ten Hag endured and ultimately ended amid the tapes at Wembley. At United he has a habit of achieving good results at the right moment and feels he needs to repeat that.

(Top photo: Dan Goldfarb for The Athletic, photo: Getty Images)