Erik ten Hag has one less excuse as Man Utd boss on the brink of getting sacked

Erik ten Hag has one less excuse to save himself from the sack if he can’t improve Manchester United’s results in the coming weeks. He was once offered sympathy for working with a cluster of different managers’ signings at Old Trafford, but he no longer has that luxury after five transfer windows and an outlay of around £560million.

The same issue impacted Ralf Rangnick, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and even Jose Mourinho. Each manager inherited a mash-up of underperforming stars brought to United in line with a different philosophy.

It’s the primary driving force behind the stance that coaches require time at a new club to instil their vision into current players while bringing in new ones to reshape the squad.

Two years into his reign, and after a ruthless summer clearout overseen by INEOS, Ten Hag can’t say he is a victim of that particular problem anymore.

Among the Dutchman’s first-team squad this season, only eight players signed or debuted under his predecessors.

Tom Heaton, Harry Maguire, Bruno Fernandes and Amad landed under Solskjaer, Louis van Gaal oversaw Luke Shaw and Marcus Rashford’s arrivals, and Mourinho captured Diogo Dalot and Victor Lindelof.

Ten Hag has also been handsomely backed, more so than any other manager since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013.

Around £305m, 54 per cent of his expenditure, has gone towards players with links to Ajax or his homeland, the Netherlands.

Six of Ten Hag’s 20 signings as United boss have cost more than £50m, including £85m on Antony, £70m on Casemiro and £60m on Mason Mount.

You can crunch all the numbers you want. The fact is, the current United squad has Ten Hag’s identity written all over it.

And yet, the identity of his desired style of play is growing progressively more confusing by the performance.

Last season, injuries were a valid excuse. United were struck with an unprecedented slice of poor fortune that undoubtedly impacted results.

But not anymore. The team that started Sunday’s 3-0 defeat against Tottenham is, barring the ever-absent Luke Shaw, Ten Hag’s strongest on paper.

And for that side to look as in shambles as it did two years into the Dutchman’s tenure is nothing less than an overwhelming concern.

Pre-season optimism fuelled by FA Cup glory in May has completely evaporated. Ten Hag is losing followers by the day.

He has the players he has wanted at his disposal. United simply cannot afford further disaster against FC Porto and Aston Villa.