Manchester United is collecting the nails in the coffin of coach Erik ten Hag

aWhen Erik ten Hag talks about his job, it never takes long before his favorite term is mentioned. “I have the energy,” he always answers combatively when asked whether he is still the right man in the right place. But after the shocking 4-0 defeat to Crystal Palace he said it slightly differently: “I will find the energy.”

Ten Hag exchanges the present tense for the future tense, militancy slowly makes way for hope. The Manchester United coach is still reluctant to give up – at least in public – but despondency is visibly starting to take hold of him.

As he stood on the touchline at Selhurst Park, passively watching his side completely mess up, he looked ready. Ten Hag has become a trainer who mainly complains about his own players, who cannot and do what he wants. The loss against Crystal Palace was the ‘worst defeat’ in this already dramatic season, he had to admit.

“Sometimes after a match you think: this is the end,” was how former United player Paul Scholes expressed the feeling of many. “Tonight felt like the final nail in the coffin.”

In any case, the club’s board no longer has to come up with arguments for dismissal, because at the end of its second season, Ten Hag’s team has collected the negative statistics itself. Against Crystal Palace, United suffered their thirteenth defeat this season, the most since the 1989-1990 season. The team has already conceded 81 goals this year, never since 1976-1977. The current eighth place does not entitle you to European football, which cost David Moyes his head in 2014.

Never uncontroversial

With only 54 points and three tough games to go – against Arsenal, Newcastle and Brighton – there is also a risk of a negative points record. The old low (58) was set in the year before Ten Hag took over. The Dutchman has never really been uncontroversial in Manchester, but has also proven to be a master at surviving humiliation for almost two seasons.

Questions about his future started after he lost the first two games in the Premier League last year. Then there was also a 4-0 defeat, against small Brentford. But then Ten Hag was still able to command respect by participating in a 14 kilometer long penalty endurance run.

United then also came back strongly, just like after the big defeats against Manchester City (6-3) and Liverpool (7-0). These were painful, but incidents remained on an upward trend. The red team from Manchester finished third last year with 75 points behind Manchester City and Arsenal.

This year the shocking defeats have remained and the spiral is downwards. Of the last seven games in the Premier League, the Manchester superpower only won against the now relegated Sheffield United. It is telling that even the highlight – reaching the FA Cup final – was overshadowed by a poor performance. United gave away a 3-0 lead against poor Coventry and needed penalties to win the semi-final.

Cup win as salvation

That cup final can still save the season. A win would not only mean a prize, but also qualification for the Europa League. But how will United win against the mighty Manchester City, the opponent in the final?

Especially in the back it is as leaky as a basket. Another negative fact: in 2024, no team has conceded as many (317) shots as United, so it is not surprising that the goal difference is -3. The cause of this is not difficult to find, due to injuries Ten Hag has rarely been able to play with his favorite defense.

He had to field his fourteenth (!) central defense duo of the season against Crystal Palace. Without Lisandro Martínez, Harry Maguire and Raphaël Varane, Ten Hag pushed the already criticized defensive midfielder Casemiro to the back. He won’t repeat that experiment again anytime soon.

If he is given the opportunity to do so by the club management, which has been in the hands of Sir Jim Ratcliffe since February. The wealthy owner of chemical company Ineos is doing a major clean-up, but to the surprise of many, Ten Hag has remained out of harm’s way for the time being.

Not only is there understanding due to the laundry list of injuries, the new owners also realize that he is dealing with a legacy of years of mismanagement. The preliminary conclusion was earlier that he would at least be allowed to finish the season. But with each new humiliation, that decision comes under increasing pressure.