In less than 72 hours, Erik ten Hag will play two more pivotal Manchester United games, but the quiet from the men who now run the football show is deafening.
The Manchester United players will remain in Istanbul for the next day or two on English time as part of a practice meant to push the team through two difficult matches in 66 hours.
The fact that Turkey is two hours ahead of Great Britain only makes the logistical problems Erik ten Hag and United are facing this week worse. The Europa League matchup between United and Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce is scheduled for Thursday at 10 p.m. local time, which presents a significant operational challenge.
Following a recuperation session in Istanbul the morning following their match at Sukru Saracoglu Stadium, United will take a direct flight to London late on Friday afternoon. At 2 p.m. on Sunday, Ten Hag’s team will play West Ham United, who are having a free week, at the London Stadium.
This kind of headache, which is typical of Thursday night football, was quite foreseeable given that they had only qualified for the Europa League. Ten Hag is also not overly concerned about it. Along with the ongoing rumours that persons are still being considered for his position, it is just one more minor issue the Dutchman must handle.
Ten Hag’s dedication to making it work at Old Trafford seemed greater than ever, both on and off the record, during a football writers’ awards ceremony on Sunday. However, there were rumours the following day that Xavi’s camp had been informed that he would be targeted if Ten Hag was fired.
Ten Hag refers to these kinds of allegations as “fairytales and lies,” yet the fact that INEOS officials contacted other managers throughout the summer is not fiction. It’s a well-known secret.
Following a much-needed comeback victory over Brentford at Old Trafford the day before, Ten Hag sent a message of defiance to the Manchester football scribes on Sunday night. Additionally, he continues to make an effort to reassure the supporters and the media that he has the support of the football operations executives.
However, it could be time for one of those executives to publicly affirm their support. When asked about Ten Hag’s future the other week, Sir Jim Ratcliffe effectively pointed out that professionals had been hired to make such kinds of decisions.
Those individuals could be able to share their ideas about United’s future. One aspect of the Premier League has been the emergence of the highly compensated football executive. However, they usually keep quiet while the rage confronts the music on a daily basis.
It’s safe to assume that United supporters would want to know what ideas sporting director Dan Ashworth was working on. Or how Sir Dave Brailsford, the director of sport at INEOS and a regular at United games, viewed his position with the team.
Ultimately, as the next days demonstrate, Ten Hag is not endowed with an abundance of free time to converse. Ten Hag doesn’t require the people now in charge of the football show to vote for him. However, he may use some help