Is it all but over for Erik ten Hag?

Paul Fennessy

IT’S RARELY a good sign when Man United are falling out with journalists.

In October 2018, reporter David McDonnell had his media credentials revoked for suggesting Jose Mourinho was “past the point of no return” at Old Trafford.

Two months later, the Portuguese boss was sacked by the club.

The club had a history of banning reporters before then, with Alex Ferguson and David Moyes punishing journalists for reporting team news before it was officially announced.

Ferguson was once even caught on mic asking his press officer to ban a reporter for asking a question about “how important” Ryan Giggs was for the team in the midst of allegations the Welsh winger was involved in an extra-marital affair.

Louis van Gaal also had run-ins, hitting out at reports that Mourinho would succeed him in the job and attracting criticism for calling one journalist a “fat man” after the team’s 3-3 draw with Newcastle.

Erik ten Hag is no exception in this regard. In December, the club banned four media outlets for suggesting the manager was losing parts of the dressing room.

On Saturday, after a disappointing 2-2 draw with Bournemouth, Ten Hag walked out of a press conference after being asked about potentially overseeing Manchester United’s worst-ever Premier League season.

Saturday’s draw was another damaging setback. The Red Devils could have gained ground on top-four rivals Aston Villa and Spurs, particularly as the latter lost to Newcastle and the former are expected to drop points against Arsenal today.

They were perhaps even fortunate to come away with a point after VAR denied Bournemouth a late penalty.

Bad results in European football for English teams during the week mean the Premier League is less likely to get a fifth spot for the Champions League next season.

And even if that proves to be the case, the possibility of a top-five finish for United seems fanciful.

They have now won just one of their last seven matches. Rivals Villa and Spurs are stuttering, but so are they.

It was hoped last month’s 4-3 FA Cup win over Liverpool would be the catalyst to inspire a strong end to the season.

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Instead, it looks like the latest in a long line of false dawns for the embattled club.

They have two winnable home Premier League fixtures next against relegation-threatened Sheffield United and Burnley.

However, they are less likely to pick up points in tough upcoming matches against Arsenal and Newcastle.

Ten Hag’s men are 10 points off Tottenham and Villa at the time of writing, with six games remaining, though perhaps they should be more worried about the other end of the table the way they have been playing of late.

As it stands, United’s worst-ever Premier League performance was the seventh-place finish when David Moyes was manager (though he was dismissed before the end of the 2013-14 campaign).

Ten Hag could conceivably oversee an even lower climax.

Granted, it would not be as big a shock — Moyes inherited a title-winning side, whereas the current incarnation of the Red Devils have come sixth in three of the last seven campaigns.

Nonetheless, if United end up in eighth position or lower, it will be their worst display since the 1989-90 season, when they had to settle for a 13th-place finish.

That campaign was undoubtedly the most turbulent point of Ferguson’s trophy-laden 26-year reign.

The Scottish manager was under intense pressure from media and fans alike, with countless calls for him to go.

What is widely believed to have saved Ferguson was winning the FA Cup that season.

Could history repeat itself for Ten Hag?

They will certainly be expected to defeat Championship outfit Coventry in next weekend’s semi, though a stiffer test, either Man City or Chelsea, potentially awaits them in the final.

Yet times have changed since 1990. Winning the FA Cup is no longer seen as a big achievement as it once was — it was not enough to save Van Gaal, who was sacked two days after claiming the trophy.

The new ownership regime may be keen to bring in their manager and barring a spectacular conclusion to the season, it would be hard to make the case that it’s the wrong call.

United still have no distinctive style under Ten Hag. They are perhaps fortunate to be as high as they are on the table, given their consistently poor performances and remarkable vulnerability defensively.

A TNT Sports tweet yesterday summed up their chaotic season.

“Man United have now conceded 565 shots in the Premier League this season, their most in a single campaign since 2003/04,” it read. “There are still six games to go.”

Moreover, the suggestions of dressing room unrest are not going away.

Ten Hag pointed out after the Bournemouth game that “young players make mistakes,” having substituted Alejandro Garnacho at half-time.

Asked about Garnacho’s withdrawal, Ten Hag replied: “I think we had to repair over that right side.

“We didn’t play well, the spaces were there in possession, we had to bring a sub there.

“Garnacho was not training during the week, only yesterday, we thought bring some energy, bring some more quality, quality in the sense of co-operation, togetherness over that right side.”

Garnacho proceeded to like and then unlike two comments by popular YouTuber and Man United fan Mark Goldbridge on Instagram.

The first read:”Garnacho has been one of our best players this season. Poor first half but taking him off at half-time and holding him up as the problem is a joke. Many have done much worse week in, week out and are still out there.”

In the second, Goldbridge wrote: “Ten Hag subtly blaming Garnacho in the post-match press conference… Not a good look throwing a 19-year-old under the bus who has actually delivered for you this season. But then again he’s clearly scared of upsetting the bigger earners.”

Meanwhile, Amad Diallo, the youngster who replaced Garnacho in the second half, posted a mouth zipped shut face emoji.

All of which contributes to the feeling that Ten Hag’s days may be numbered.

Both with their on-field performances and off-field behaviour, the players are doing little to quash the story first reported by those subsequently banned journalists last December.