A calamitous performance by Manchester United in their 3-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday has put Erik ten Hag back in the hot seat but the beleaguered manager said he was confident that he remained on the same page as the struggling club's owners.
Tottenham went ahead in the third minute when Brennan Johnson tapped in for the opening goal. They doubled their lead in the 47th minute when Dejan Kulusevski, acrobatically clipped the ball past Andre Onana. In the 77th minute, Dominic Solanke poked the ball home from close range after Pape Matar Sarr headed on a corner kick from fellow substitute Lucas Bergvall.
However Ten Hag, whose job security was the subject of speculation for much of last season, insisted he was not concerned about his status with the club.
"No, I am not thinking about this," he told reporters. "We all made in togetherness this decision to stay together, as ownership, as a leadership group, in the summer. We also knew it would take some time.
"I think we will get better. And we all are there on one page, in one boat together, the ownership, the leadership group, the staff and the players group as well. So no, I don't have that concern."
The loss left United, who finished a worst-ever eighth in the Premier League last season, in 12th place after six games.
It was their second consecutive 3-0 home league defeat after they lost to Liverpool on Sept. 1, and thousands of fans beat a hasty exit from Old Trafford well before the final whistle.
Manchester United's Alejandro Garnacho looks dejected after the 3-0 defeat their home turf.Reuters
Former United defender turned pundit Gary Neville called it a "disgusting performance."
Former Tottenham midfielder Jamie Redknapp said in the Sky Sports broadcast: "United have been so abject, no confidence, no identity, they have been playing like the away team.
"It gets to a point where you feel for the manager. He looks completely out of his depth and is struggling to motivate."
Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke also scored for Spurs, who from the start ran circles around a United side reduced to 10 men when captain Bruno Fernandes was sent off in the 42nd minute for his high challenge on James Maddison.
Ten Hag was particularly frustrated that Johnson's early goal was almost identical to one United conceded against Twente in a 1-1 Europa League draw only four nights earlier.
"We are very disappointed when you can see it again, a goal like this," the Dutchman said. "It shouldn't happen, and especially when you address it so loud and clear, how we have to deal with such situations."
Controversial Madrid derby
Atletico Madrid's Angel Correa bundled home an equalizer deep into added time against Real Madrid to snatch a 1-1 draw on Sunday in a nervy La Liga derby at that was suspended for just over 20 minutes after the home fans hurled objects onto the pitch at Civitas Metropolitano.
The game was stopped in the 69th, five minutes after defender Eder Militao opened the scoring for the visitors, as Atletico ultras Fondo Sur threw objects towards Real's Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who alerted the referee.
Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham and Atletico Madrid's Koke after the match.Reuters
After a delay of over 20 minutes the players returned to the pitch and Atletico piled on the pressure before levelling the scores when substitute Correa forced the ball home from close range after a counter attack in the fifth minute of added time.
Osasuna shock Barcelona
Croatian forward Ante Budimir scored twice to help Osasuna earn a shock 4-2 home win over leaders Barcelona and hand the visitors their first defeat of the La Liga season on Saturday.
Barca reduced the deficit thanks to a massive blunder by Osasuna goalkeeper Sergio Herrera who failed to keep out a weak strike by Pau Victor in the 53rd minute, but Budimir extended the hosts' lead from the penalty spot in the 72nd minute. In the 83rd minute, Abel Bretones scored Osasuna’s fourth goal.
Osasuna's Abel Bretones celebrates scoring their fourth goal with teammates.Reuters
"We knew that Barcelona were a tough team, that they had won everything and that we had to go out and bite, and that's how we went out," Bryan Zaragoza who scored Osasuna’s second goal in the 28th minute told Movistar Plus.
Popular
Spotlight
More from Sports
Pakistan pacer Khurram returns to test squad for S Africa series
Shahzad and Abbas bolster Pakistan’s Test squad as team prepares for opening match in Centurion
Comments
See what people are discussing