10 November 2023 , 08:41
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Manchester United's squad are starting to question some of the methods of manager Erik ten Hag after a disastrous start to the season.
The Dutchman has overseen more defeats than wins this term, with nine losses from 17 games. The most recent of which came away at Copenhagen in the Champions League, with the Danish outfit running out 4-3 winners and placing a significant dent in United's hopes of progressing from Group A.
As per reports from the i, Ten Hag has certainly not 'lost the dressing room' and many players continue to support their boss, but have started to call into question certain 'tactical decisions'. There is plenty of sympathy for the boss, who has been on the receiving end of some questionable refereeing decisions and had to contend with a number of injuries, but the buck has to stop somewhere.
One source claimed that the decision to leave four-time Champions League winner Raphael Varane on the bench in the last few games and selecting 35-year-old Jonny Evans has confused sections of the side. Varane was not handed a start in the last league clash against Fulham, with many taking that as a sign he'd start on Wednesday night.
Instead, Evans was given the nod once again against Copenhagen, only to be replaced by Varane inside the opening exchanges after picking up an injury. Perhaps rusty due to the lack of minutes recently, but the former Real Madrid ace had an evening to forget.
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Rasmus Hojlund netted a brace against his former side mid-week, but was withdrawn in place of Mason Mount at a time when United desperately needed a goal. Hooking your £72million striker who is on a hat-trick when searching for a goal is always going to raise eyebrows.
It must be said that Hojlund did come out and back his manager after the game. The 20-year-old told the media: "Everyone in the dressing room is behind him [Ten Hag], so I think it's just a matter of time before things go our way."
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Erik ten Hag is under increasing pressure at Man Utd (Getty Images)And of course there is the seemingly never-ending Jadon Sancho saga. The England international remains exiled, with the relationship between him and Ten Hag believed to have soured so badly that no apology could repair the damage already done.
Those at the top of the Old Trafford hierarchy are not believed to be actively seeking a Ten Hag replacement, but the tide must turn sooner rather than later.
United's record of nine defeats from 17 games is the worst start to a season that they have endured since the 1973-74 campaign. Led by Tommy Docherty, that season was the last time the Red Devils were relegated.