Manchester United produced another bizarre display in Portugal last night (Thursday) to leave Erik ten Hag under even more pressure in the Old Trafford hot-seat.
The 3-3 draw, salvaged by Harry Maguire in stoppage time, came after United were 2-0 in front and seemingly in cruise control against a Porto side who are a far cry from the Champions League winning team built by Jose Mourinho two decades ago.
Ten Hag now faces an anxious wait on his future with reports of potential successors dominating the media today.
As reported by Centre Devils, an inside source believes Ruud van Nistelrooy is primed to take over on an interim basis should the 54-year-old get the chop in the coming days.
Van Nistelrooy joined Ten Hag’s coaching staff in the summer and after an impressive spell as manager of PSV will fancy his chances for the role.
The United legend is held in high regard by everyone at the club including the playing staff, who are in desperate need of a lift in confidence.
He has been working closely with Marcus Rashford in particular, who has suffered an up-and-down start to the new campaign, but remains the biggest threat in the front line when on song.
United’s shocking start to the new season has fallen well below the expectations of the fans after ending last term by beating Manchester City to lift the FA Cup at Wembley – granting Ten Hag a stay of execution.
Van Nistelrooy will have eyes on the position long term but it’s expected he will only be in situ until INEOS find a suitable permanent candidate.
However, as seen with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, a run of good results can change the landscape quickly and could lead to the Dutchman securing his place as head coach.
The change could be made as quickly as next week with a tricky looking trip to top four rivals Aston Villa next up for United.
After Thursday’s meltdown, Ten Hag will be well aware a complete turnaround in performance is required on Sunday afternoon for him to keep his job in Manchester.
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