Ten Hag sack timeline leaked, with Man Utd boss ‘a goner’ if Red Devils lose one particular match

Erik ten Hag is in serious danger of losing his job as Manchester United manager, with one pundit suggesting club chiefs will pull the trigger at the start of December, should one damaging result occur.

Man Utd’s season went from bad to worse on Wednesday when they lost 4-3 to Copenhagen in their fourth Champions League group match. After the defeat, Ten Hag criticised VAR for the harsh decision to send Marcus Rashford off in the 42nd minute. However, that will not save Ten Hag as Man Utd are now bottom of Champions League Group A with just two games left.

In order to reach the next stage of the competition, the Red Devils must pick up results against tricky opponents Galatasaray and Bayern, while also hoping that other results go their way.

It is not just on the European stage that Man Utd have been struggling, as they sit eighth in the Premier League following six wins and five defeats from 11 games. And they will not be able to replicate the League Cup success from last term, having been knocked out of the competition in the fourth round by Newcastle United.

In addition to Man Utd’s troublesome start to the season, Ten Hag has come under fire for his huge spending, with big-money arrivals such as Antony, Casemiro and Mason Mount either not performing or not being given enough opportunities.

Several pundits have urged Sir Jim Ratcliffe to axe Ten Hag once his minority stake in the club reaches completion, with the British billionaire aiming to start work at Old Trafford on Monday.

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Former Man Utd and Tottenham Hotspur forward Alan Brazil has now provided an intriguing update on the Dutchman’s future. On talkSPORT, the pundit has stated that if Man Utd lose at home to Luton Town on Saturday afternoon, Ten Hag will be ‘a goner’.

Even if Man Utd manage to win their remaining two games in November, a defeat to Luton would spark the end of the Ten Hag era, with the club’s board preparing for a new manager to arrive in December.

Erik ten Hag ‘in big danger’ at Man Utd

“Manchester United have to beat Luton, if they don’t, Ten Hag is a goner,” Brazil said.

“He won’t go, from what I hear, before December but after December 1st, he’s in big danger.”

However, Man Utd hero Paul Scholes does not think Ten Hag is as close to being sacked as Brazil suggests.

Following the loss to Copenhagen, Scholes said: “I still don’t think there is that much pressure on him.

“He had a good year and I think he has bought himself a little bit of time in that respect. He’s had a few injuries, but nine defeats in 17 games is not good enough.

“All of those managers have been sacked in that second or third year, but I don’t think we can afford to do that anymore. I think we have got to let this fella go with it, he’s been good up until this point.

“He’s a little bit unlucky tonight you have to say that. They will play a lot better teams than Copenhagen but I thought there was a little bit of fight there – but they are lacking that leadership.”

Scholes added that the Man Utd hot seat has been a ‘graveyard for managers’ in recent years, though he feels Ten Hag has not been helped by a plethora of defensive injuries this term.

Recent reports have suggested Man Utd could launch an ambitious move for Zinedine Zidane to replace Ten Hag, with impressive Sporting boss Ruben Amorim another man on their radar.

But Zidane may be an unrealistic target as he has admitted he cannot speak English well enough to successfully manage in the Premier League, while Amorim insists no talks have been held with Man Utd officials.

Meanwhile, there has been a big update on the future of Kylian Mbappe, with Man Utd reportedly battling three Premier League rivals for the attacker amid uncertainty over Real Madrid’s interest in him.