Man Utd news: D-day for Erik ten Hag as defender makes resilience claim

Manchester United face Porto away in the Europa League tonight and Erik ten Hag could badly do with a convincing performance despite getting the backing of his players

Erik ten Hag’s future is expected to be decided by Manchester United’s next two results – beginning with Thursday evening’s Europa League trip to Porto.

And while the under pressure Dutchman insists he is not feeling the heat with a daunting Premier League trip to Aston Villa following on sunday afternoon, a number of club legends have been outspoken about their former side’s direction.

Yet the decision will ultimately come down to INEOS chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe and he is already being presented with a host of alternative options including Simone Inzaghi.

Here are the big tales from Old Trafford entering a potentially defining period.

Stars' support

Erik ten Hag still has the support of his dressing room.

According to reports, a number of Manchester United players believe they can turn around their form and they back their manager to lead that and address the issues present.

That Ten Hag has a history of lifting trophies with his players at United, or with those he has previously coached at Ajax appears to have been helpful.

The United boss also has confidence in his team. The 54-year-old believes his squad has the required talent to turn its fortunes around and he is not flustered about the current situation.

Image: AFP via Getty Images) AFP via Getty Images)

De Ligt difference

Matthijs de Ligt has claimed Erik ten Hag is “for the most part” the same head coach he was at Ajax - but the under pressure Manchester United boss has had to show more resilience in the Premier League.

Asked ahead of the Porto fixture if he notices any difference between Ten Hag now and when he was a serial trophy winner at Ajax, De Ligt said: “Yes, for the most part. But the resilience in the Eredivisie is very different than here in the Premier League.

"Every club here has a manager at a very high tactical level, and you have to be able to respond to that.”

Legends' views

The 13-time Premier League champions remain some way off another title charge. Sunday's loss at home to Tottenham left Ten Hag's team down in 13th, six points adrift of the Champions League spots after just six games.

United's most recent defeat prompted plenty of reflection, as well as debate from all quarters over the future of the manager.

Here, Mirror Football looks at what some former Old Trafford favourites have said.

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.

Click here to read article