Everyone knows the Glazers are to blame for Man Utd’s decline - but that doesn’t excuse Erik ten Hag

If Manchester United’s players looked to their manager for inspiration and guidance after Sunday’s Premier League mauling by Manchester City, they may have been left feeling a tad bemused.

Erik ten Hag’s post-match demeanour was one of a defiant underdog who had been narrowly beaten, not that of a Champions League coach whose side have spent a little shy of £400m in the last two summers and had just been humiliated by their local rivals.

Remarkably, Ten Hag claimed his side are ‘on the way up’, pointed to a somewhat positive first half as reasons for optimism, and took issue with a reporter’s question about why he’d started 35-year-old Jonny Evans - who was relegated from the Premier League last season - above four-time European champion Raphael Varane.

It’s not the first time Ten Hag has made a perplexing claim after a high-profile defeat, and in early September he felt aggrieved that Alejandro Garnacho’s goal had been chalked off against Arsenal for offside, with the lines, in his view, being drawn at the wrong angle. That was one of three post-match complaints from the Emirates, and Ten Hag’s penchant for highlighting referee errors is a new trait he’s adopted this season.

The United boss has also claimed at various points in recent weeks that the ‘spirit’ and ‘fight’ in his team is plain for all see, yet few watching the unconvincing wins over Brentford, Sheffield United and Copenhagen could vouch for that. Even Sunday’s pre-match programme notes were oddly bullish before facing the best side on the planet. “In recent games we have developed the ability to keep calm after setbacks, which is an important development,” he wrote.

Yet, that was certainly not the case against City, who dominated proceedings after taking the lead in the 26th minute, although prior to that it had been a relatively even contest. United’s best moments had come on the break, with Scott McTominay surging through the middle of City’s midfield and getting a shot off inside the first two minutes.

READ MORE: ‘On the way up’ - Erik ten Hag makes baffling Man Utd claim after crushing Man City defeat

The Scotland international has provided some inspired moments over recent weeks, but couldn’t produce one on Sunday. Nor could his team-mates, and without an individual spark of brilliance there was no chance of United scraping anything from the derby. Ten Hag has relied on virtuoso flashes from Bruno Fernandes, Diogo Dalot and McTominay to provide the Red Devils’ last three league wins, not exactly a ringing endorsement of his tactical set-up.

After 76 matches in charge, supporters can be forgiven for remaining unsure what exactly United’s modus operandi is under Ten Hag, and the side have looked disjointed in possession this season, while they sit 11th in the expected goals standings for the campaign to date. There has been no clear identity or structure this season from United, a side who have been on a steady decline since last winter’s Carabao Cup triumph. Had the table began anew the day after that 2-0 win at Wembley, the Red Devils would currently sit eighth.

While Ten Hag must shoulder much of the blame for United’s insipid and dreary showings, so too should the expensively assembled group of players at Old Trafford. Marcus Rashford, who netted 30 in all competitions last season, has scored once from 13 appearances this term. Casemiro and Varane look a shadow of their former selves, Mason Mount has had no impact since his £55m summer arrival, while Antony hasn’t managed a goal or assist this season in over 400 Premier League minutes.

Bruno Fernandes was another who came in for criticism after Sunday’s loss, with his petulant on-field behaviour not befitting of a United captain, in the eyes of Roy Keane. The Irishman’s bellicose assessments of his former side often result in viral viewing, but one prediction seems particularly salient after Sunday’s loss.

“Leopards never change their spots,” the ex-United skipper said in April 2019. “These are the same players who threw Jose Mourinho under the bus and they will throw Ole [Gunnar Solskjaer] under the bus too.”

Things may not yet seem that bleak for Ten Hag, but it’s remarkable how similar his time at United feels to that of Mourinho and Solskjaer, who experienced initial success at Old Trafford before the entire regime imploded. He may also feel Keane’s claims don’t resonate with the current crop at United, only six of whom played under Mourinho, but there’s no denying that feckless culture continues to permeate the United squad. Managers, players and CEOs have changed in the last five years at United, but one constant remains.

Last week’s financial results showed the club owe over £1bn through net debt, interest and staggered transfer payments, while Gary Neville highlighted the dripping water coming from the roof in the background of his social media post from Old Trafford. That dereliction of duty from the Glazers remains a stain that continues to engulf the club, and won’t be ended by Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s impending minority takeover.

While Mourinho and Solskjaer were lambasted, mocked and ultimately dismissed, the terminal problems have not been addressed at the club. It’s why removing Ten Hag seems like a pointless exercise, in addition to the credit he still holds from a superb maiden campaign in Manchester.

History indicates that goodwill only lasts so long under the Glazers’ stewardship, and despite the impossible environment in which he operates, Ten Hag’s methods must simply start having more of an impact. His team selection also should be questioned, and the ex-Ajax boss has made half-time changes in four of the last five, an obvious sign that his initial selection was flawed. Add in the bizarre post-match appraisals and the underwhelming transfer record, and suddenly Ten Hag no longer feels like the universally popular figure he was last summer.

His achievements last season should not be overlooked, nor should the ongoing injury crisis, which means sacking Ten Hag would feel like a monstrous overreaction at this stage. But a few more weeks of dour football and things could seem very different.