Erik Ten Hag backed by senior players to turn around Man Utd

Erik ten Hag is enjoying the support of the Manchester United dressing room among senior players as he fights for his future at the club.

Telegraph Sport has learned that while players are unhappy with their dip in form, which reached a new low in a “disgusting” defeat to Tottenham, Ten Hag has the support within the squad to turn things around .

Ten Hag is expected to be in charge for matches against Porto on Thursday and at Aston Villa on Sunday, but pressure is mounting on the Dutchman ahead of two critical matches for his hopes. Although the players are fully aware of the focus on Ten Hag’s future – as was the case ahead of last season’s FA Cup final – they believe they can reverse their recent run of results.

United sources admit that if there is a dip in form, not all players will be happy, although a run of victories can lift the club from 13th place in the Premier League and change the complexion of the season.

Many players have a history with Ten Hag, either reaching the Champions League semi-finals with Ajax or winning domestic trophies with United, and there is a feeling that the current problems can be resolved.

Ten Hag managed a stunning win at Wembley against Manchester City to win the FA Cup in a ‘reset’ moment for the club and he is looking for more of the same again.

They are in midweek in the Europa League against Porto, with Ten Hag needing a positive result to ease the pressure. Former United captain Gary Neville said United’s performance against Tottenham was “disgusting” and added: “There is no doubt that something is wrong in the United dressing room.”

Neville highlighted Christian Eriksen’s comments after the draw against Twente that their opponents “looked like they wanted it more than us and that can’t be right” and that the issue had been raised during an investigation in the locker room after the final whistle.

What is clear is that Ten Hag now has a team of his own making after five transfer windows. His confidence in the players in his Ajax team who reached the 2019 Champions League semi-finals has been evident during his two years at United, with £85m winger Antony the one of his first major signings. Ten Hag have kept faith in Andre Onana despite the goalkeeper’s high-profile errors last season, while Lisandro Martinez has proven to be an excellent arrival when fit.

Last summer he signed Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui from Bayern Munich – two players he managed at Ajax – although he insisted they were club signings in part of the new recruitment structure following Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s investment. Dutch striker Joshua Zirkzee also arrived for £36.5 million.

Ten Hag highlighted a change in policy at United which has seen them target young players rather than proven trophy winners, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Raphael Varane among those to have left.

“These are the choices we have made over the last two seasons – and I understand the impression many have of Manchester United because the history is so big,” Ten Hag said. “But these are the choices we made – and it also has something to do with finances and other restrictions we face.

“We chose younger players and we cannot expect them to be at the (high) level. We have to improve them and they have to improve themselves and we have to find a team that can be successful consistently.