Erik ten Hag admitted Manchester United must “step up” to resolve their attacking woes after Sunday’s goalless draw with Aston Villa but insisted he has the backing of club chiefs.
Part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe was at Villa Park alongside INEOS director of sport David Brailsford, United CEO Omar Berrada and sporting director Dan Ashworth as Ten Hag’s side produced an improved defensive display to hold Unai Emery’s outfit.
The performance provided relief for Ten Hag after the 3-0 loss to Tottenham and 3-3 draw with Porto, with Jonny Evans impressing as a surprise pick in defence, but the draw leaves them on only eight points from seven games and means they have made their worst start to a Premier League season.
United hit the bar from a Bruno Fernandes free-kick but created few clear chances of note, continuing a blunt start to the campaign in front of goal. Their total of only five goals scored in seven games is the second-lowest in the Premier League after 19th-placed Southampton.
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Highlights from the Premier League match between Aston Villa and Man Utd
Ten Hag told Sky Sports: “We had very good organisation and very good personality in the team. Resilient, determined. So, it was a very good spirit as a team.
“We almost didn’t concede a chance. When you defend like this, you can have some luck, like in the end with the big chance [for Jaden Philogene] at the back post.
“But that was almost the only chance they had. We had some control in possession. We created some chances, although not so many.
“It was really balanced. We hit the bar and a good chance for Rashy [Marcus Rashford]. But the two teams were really balanced.
“We know we have a lack of goals. In that perspective, it’s not a good start. Definitely not. We have to step up.
Manchester United part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe was at Villa Park
“If you want to win games, you have to score. That’s an area where we have to improve.
“But we have four clean sheets. We can defend properly as a team. Villa’s line-up and gameplan was to go for counter-attacks and we defended that very well.”
Asked about the presence of Ratcliffe at Villa Park amid speculation surrounding his future as manager, Ten Hag said: “We always speak. Every week we speak.
“We are all on board, all together, on one page. We know what we are working towards.
“It’s a long-term project and we have to keep improving the process.
“We had two very tough away games and we showed the togetherness and the spirit, but also the players show the belief and the faith they have.”
Analysis: Ten Hag not out of the storm yet
Sky Sports’ Nick Wright:
It remains to be seen whether Ten Hag’s insistence that Manchester United’s owners are still behind him rings true. This was an improved showing from his side and, in isolation, a good result. But the international break gives the club’s hierarchy a chance to take stock.
They will reflect on a better display at Villa Park which could be interpreted as proof that the players are still fighting for the manager. Certainly, their efforts cannot be faulted. The clean sheet, against a side as strong as Unai Emery’s, was hard-earned.
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Danyal Khan and Patrick Rowe analyse Manchester United and Aston Villa’s goalless draw and what it could mean for Ten Hag’s future
But having taken only eight points from seven games, scoring only five goals, the wider context is that this is the club’s worst-ever start to a Premier League season.
And as noted by Gary Neville before kick-off, using Jonny Evans and Harry Maguire at centre-back, while successful on the day, was “not the plan” after another summer of heavy spending.
Instead, it felt like the response of a manger with his back to the wall. He will hope to use this result as something to build from after the international break. But he is not out of the storm yet.
