Ten Hag sack: ‘Pressure’ ramps up as journalist claims ‘this weekend’ may end manager’s Man Utd stay

Journalist Shebahn Aherne has stated that “this weekend” could be the main contributor in Erik ten Hag being sacked by Manchester United, with the decision coming “pretty quickly” if his side loses.

Ten Hag has dealt with pressure throughout his tenure at United. He won both the League Cup and the FA Cup in his first two seasons, but the Red Devils came eighth in the Premier League last term.

He kept his job, but faith in him is dwindling, and shouts that he could soon be sacked are getting louder.

Presenter and journalist Aherne believes that frustration is mounting on Ten Hag, and a loss against Tottenham in the next game could have dire consequences.

“Marcus Rashford found form, and then you put him on the bench against Crystal Palace. Perhaps something’s going on there, but then that’s sort of killing the momentum,” Aherne said on Sky Sports’ Back Pages podcast.

“So there’s huge frustration here, and I would say it’s pressure this weekend for Erik ten Hag to win against Spurs.

“And if he doesn’t, I think it [the sack] could be happening pretty quickly.”

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Ten Hag has little time

This is not the first time Ten Hag has stared down the barrel of the United sack.

Ahead of last season’s FA Cup final, it was suggested that he would be shown the door either way. Whether that was true and Sir Jim Ratcliffe spared him due to the triumph, or it was never on the cards, we will never know.

But TEAMtalk understands that this time, Ten Hag is nearing the boot.

Sources have said it is ‘a matter of time’ before he’s removed and a new boss is given the reins, and a loss against Tottenham, with United currently 11th in the league and on the same points as the north Londoners, seems as valid a reason as any to stop persisting with Ten Hag.

Man Utd plotting change in multiple areas

If the manager is given the boot, then United will want a top boss to replace him. Of late, Eddie Howe has been linked, along with Simone Inzaghi, Gareth Southgate and Thomas Tuchel.

Bookies feel current assistant Ruud van Nistelrooy has a good chance of taking over from his boss.

It is not only off the field where improvements are being sought, with some big names in United’s sights on the field.

Nicolo Barella is said to be on their radar in the midfield, though Fabrizio Romano has suggested that is unlikely to be true.

Fellow midfielder Harry Winks, of Leicester, has been linked with a shock move to Old Trafford, given he’d be a low-cost option for the Red Devils.

And young winger Bazoumana Toure also has United’s eyes on him, as well as being in Arsenal’s sights.

Ten Hag’s Man Utd timeline thus far

21 April 2022 – Ten Hag is confirmed as the new permanent Manchester United manager, taking over from interim boss Ralph Rangnick at the end of the season. The Dutchman arrives at Old Trafford with the pedigree of having won three Eredivisie titles and two KNVB Cups over four and a half years in charge of Ajax.

August 2022 – United lose their first two Premier League games under the new manager, beaten 2-1 at home by Brighton and thumped 4-0 away at Brentford. Ten Hag becomes the first United manager to lose his first two matches in charge since 1921.

22 August 2022 – Ten Hag records his first win as United boss, beating arch-rivals Liverpool 2-1 at Old Trafford. It is the Red Devils’ first league win over the Merseysiders since 2018.

26 February 2023 – United beat Newcastle 2-0 in the EFL Cup final, securing their first trophy since 2017 and the first silverware of Ten Hag’s reign.

5 March 2023 – One week after their EFL Cup triumph, United are thrashed 7-0 by Liverpool. The humiliating Anfield loss is the heaviest defeat in the history of the fixture.

May 2023 – United finish third in the Premier League, qualifying for the Champions League. But they are beaten 2-1 by rivals Manchester City in the FA Cup final.

November 2023 – Ten Hag is voted the Premier League’s Manager of the Month after overseeing three successive victories.

12 December 2023 – United crash out of the Champions League in the group stage, losing 1-0 to Bayern Munich to finish bottom of the group.

19 May 2024 – Ten Hag’s side beat Brighton 2-0 on the final day of the English top-flight season, but they end the campaign eighth in the table, the club’s lowest finish of the Premier League era.

25 May 2025 – Despite being heavy underdogs, United beat City 2-1 in the FA Cup final, earning a place in the following season’s Europa League and securing a second trophy in as many seasons for Ten Hag.

Summer 2025 – Led by new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, United conduct a review of the manager’s position before eventually deciding to stick with Ten Hag, triggering a one-year extension in the Dutchman’s contract to tie him down until 2026.