by This is the low point of Erik ten Hag’s tenure at Manchester United. A sloppy shabby mess that Tottenham happily exploited, throwing the ball around and smashing it through their legendary hosts like they were in a man-v-kids knockabout.
The manager claims he has a plan and from this display it appears to be based on waving past the opposition on a figurative red carpet as Spurs ran endlessly through United. Towards the end, trailing 2-0, United staged a 10-man rally as Casemiro burst in and Alejandro Garnacho fired home: this only showed what Ten Hag’s charges would have done if they had their famous shirt had not been embarrassing.
By then, Brennan Johnson and Dejan Kulesevksi had scored and Bruno Fernandes had been sent off, meaning the captain will miss the next three league games. Although the decision seemed harsh, more insults and injuries followed when Lucas Bergvall’s first touch – a corner kick from the left side – was headed in at the near post by Pape Matar Sarr – also his first touch – and the unmarked Dominic Solanke hit home plate.
Ten Hag, drenched in pouring rain, had overseen a duck shoot and this too, with Ange Postecoglu’s men missing the injured Son Heung-min, who might have given United a six or seven nil strike.
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United will play their next match in Porto in the Europa League on Thursday, before traveling to Aston Villa on Sunday in this competition. After this total farrago, the manager desperately needs to win again – preferably in both games – as it is now this defeat and two draws in his side’s last three games.
As the jubilant traveling congregation sang “When the Spurs go marching in,” the beleaguered Dutchman ended his afternoon roll with the area marked “looting.”
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Full report to follow
