Manchester United are reportedly planning to give Erik ten Hag another four weeks to prove that he should lead the Red Devils going forward.
That is the expectation within the club with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Joel Glazer to be among those to attend an executive-level meeting in London on Tuesday, where the head coach’s position will be discussed.
There will be genuine fears within the top brass over the prospect of missing out on Champions League football for the second year in a row, which has never happened since the tournament was rebranded in 1992.
Ten Hag has led United to their worst Premier League start in the competition’s history, also since its 1992 inception, with the club sat 14th in the table after seven matches.
Pressure has never been higher on the Dutchman, but TBR Football claim that all signs point towards Ten Hag being given more time in charge, at least until the next international window in November which is four weeks’ away.
A decision on Ten Hag will be left to sporting director Dan Ashworth, CEO Omar Berrada and technical director Jason Wilcox, which was revealed by Ratcliffe prior to the 0-0 draw at Aston Villa.
Thomas Tuchel is currently available after leaving Bayern Munich at the end of last season, with the ex-Chelsea boss considered one of the top options to replace Ten Hag if his contract is terminated.
Tuchel would be tasked with catching his former employers at Stamford Bridge, with Enzo Maresca’s side sat in the fourth spot United currently envy, six points adrift of Chelsea with 10 teams between them.
The Blues’ quick turnaround from crisis club to European challengers will equally have inspired United’s chiefs that they too can make a quick turnaround, but also cause concern that the Red Devils are falling alarmingly further away from their top-four rivals.
But with Ten Hag said to be given until the next international break just over a month away, he has six further games to prove his worth.
They begin at home to Brentford, against his opposite number Thomas Frank who has been linked with the top Old Trafford job. United will then travel to Istanbul a few days later for a Europa League trip to Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce.
Then United are on the road again to West Ham, before four home matches in a row against Leicester, Chelsea, PAOK and Leicester again in the league, before the November international break.
That period will be make-or-break for Ten Hag as he continues to be on the chopping block, months on from a lengthy deliberation over his future which culminated in a contract extension.
