‘They should have told me’ says Erik ten Hag as Man Utd boss admits he has no idea whether or not he’ll be sacked

MANCHESTER UNITED eased the unit somewhat connected brag Erik 10 Hag with a hard-grafted stalemate astatine in-form Aston Villa.

United looked overmuch much coagulated defensively aft Ten Hag rung the changes - though the Red Devils inactive person conscionable 8 points from 7 Prem games.

Here's however SunSport's Graeme Bryce rated 14th-placed United rated at Villa Park on Sunday.

ANDRE ONANA - 7

Guilty of sloppy organisation erstwhile oregon doubly but his hands were harmless capable and helium did good to bushed distant a piledriver from Youri Tielemans to support United connected level terms.

NOUSSAIR MAZRAOUI - 6

Managed to incorporate Jaden Philogene comfortably capable successful the archetypal 45 minutes but failed to look for the 2nd fractional and was replaced by Victor Lindelof.

HARRY MAGUIRE - 6

Booked for a precocious forearm situation connected Ollie Watkins but his day ended astatine half-time aft helium appeared to jar his genu defending a corner.

JONNY EVANS - 9

Handled Ollie Watkins good successful the archetypal 45 and showed each his acquisition to woody with the duplicate menace of Watkins and Jhon Duran for the last fractional hour. Rolled backmost the years with a five-star show to gain his Man of the Match rating.

DIOGO DALOT - 7

Sat successful and seldom got guardant but snuffed retired the menace of Leon Bailey and was tidy enough. Crucial artifact to contradict Philogene a stoppage clip winner.

CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN - 7

Used each his acquisition to plug immoderate gaps successful United's cautiously constructed midfield. Dealt with the menace from Morgan Rogers well.

KOBBIE MAINOO - 7

Nothing flashy from the England midfielder who had his enactment chopped retired preventing Youri Tielemans carrying retired his magic.

ALEJANDRO GARNACHO - 6

Fired successful a first-half changeable which Emi Martinez dealt with comfortably but changeable hopelessly wide a mates of times aft the break. Sloppy finishing fto him down. 

BRUNO FERNANDES - 8

United's skipper lone played aft his reddish paper against Spurs was overturned connected appeal.

Kept his chill present to debar a 3rd reddish paper successful 3 games - came closest for United with a escaped footwear which crashed disconnected the Villa crossbar.

MARCUS RASHFORD - 7

Taken disconnected astatine half-time successful Oporto and taken disconnected aft 64 minutes to prevention himself a 2nd yellowish paper here! 

Looked United's likeliest match-winner aft forcing an aboriginal prevention from Martinez earlier bringing the champion retired successful the Argentine World Cup victor with a sizzling effort which the 'keeper tipped over. Booked for a foul connected Cash.

RASMUS HOJLUND - 6

Put himself astir and was progressive successful the clash which led to Ezri Konsa limping off. But lacked work and was replaced by Zirkzee conscionable beyond the hr mark. Below par.

SUBS

MATTHIJS DE LIGT for Maguire (46 minutes) - 5 - Conceded a fewer fouls successful unsafe areas. Still uncovering his feet.

VICTOR LINDELOF for Mazraoui (46 mins) - 6 - First quality since March but fitted successful good arsenic a stand-in right-back. Booked for a foul connected Morgan Rogers.

JOSHUA ZIRKZEE for Hojlund (64 mins) - 5 - Miles disconnected the pace, failed to marque immoderate impact.

ANTONY for Rashford (64 mins) - 6 - Brought retired the champion successful Emi Martinez with a curler which was heading for the apical bin until the keeper plucked it retired of mid-air.

CASEMIRO for Mainoo (85 mins) - 6 - Helped spot retired the lucifer for United.

THIS is simply a mid-table squad astatine an underachieving club, with a batch of unwanted players connected large money.

And Ratcliffe is an instinctive cost-cutter who whitethorn not wage apical dollar to the adjacent manager.

If this nine wasn’t called ‘Manchester United’, it wouldn’t beryllium an particularly desirable job.

The bully quality for United is that their caller sporting director, Dan Ashworth, is simply a precise decent justice of a manager.

He has been instrumental successful 3 erstwhile managerial appointments — Gareth Southgate for England, Graham Potter for Brighton and Eddie Howe for Newcastle.

None were wildly fashionable astatine the time, each were conspicuous successes.

Interestingly, Ashworth’s No 1 prime for the Newcastle occupation was Unai Emery, who turned him down to enactment astatine Villarreal but has since proved that judgement close by excelling astatine Aston Villa.

Emery whitethorn good present the coup de grace to Ten Hag connected Sunday — particularly with Bruno Fernandes suspended and Kobbie Mainoo an wounded doubt.

And the Spaniard would beryllium an fantabulous acceptable for United — yet determination is adjacent to nary accidental that helium would wantonness Villa’s Champions League run to instrumentality the Old Trafford job, not slightest due to the fact that helium isn’t a stark raving madman.

Howe would beryllium different bully campaigner to win Ten Hag but, though helium has go frustrated connected Tyneside, the Saudis would surely not let Ratcliffe to poach Howe, arsenic they reluctantly did with Ashworth.

Potter is disposable but his Chelsea acquisition and deficiency of charisma would marque him a pugnacious sell.

Which brings america to Southgate, who remains adjacent with Ashworth and is an fantabulous man-manager who was earnestly considered by United past spring.

Yet, contempt having led England to 2 of their 3 large finals, Southgate’s estimation for over-caution was lone enhanced during the Euros.

Mauricio Pochettino, passed implicit doubly by United, is retired of the equation having taken the United States job.

Thomas Tuchel would beryllium a fashionable and gettable enactment but, contempt being a good manager and a precise engaging man, helium is considered thing of a escaped cannon.

Likewise, Roberto De Zerbi, present astatine Marseille aft his little Brighton stint sparkled past fizzled out.

Kieran McKenna — a talented erstwhile United manager who has won back-to-back promotions with Ipswich Town — is an intriguing campaigner but the imminent vacancy whitethorn travel a twelvemonth oregon truthful excessively soon.

Marco Silva, the highly under-rated Fulham boss, has been connected United’s radar and should not beryllium discounted.

Sporting Lisbon’s Ruben Amorim, past season’s ‘next large thing’, was passed implicit by West Ham arsenic good arsenic Liverpool this summertime and is not an casual antheral to pin down.

Zinedine Zidane, who has taken implicit from Alan Curbishley arsenic a 20-1 changeable for each Premier League job, is simply a ‘figurehead’ manager and not an Ashworth type.

Ruud van Nistelrooy, the erstwhile United extremity instrumentality who joined Ten Hag’s coaching squad successful the summertime is the bookies’ favourite. Simply due to the fact that he’s successful the gathering and he’s Dutch.

So, yes, getting escaped of Ten Hag is the casual part.