Rock bottom of Erik ten Hag’s wishlist as Manchester United’s manager battles to keep his job: the zero fresh recruits he was given when the winter transfer window shut on Thursday to leave him with the same misfiring squad plagued by uneven form, off-field issues, injury and illness. As Ten Hag seeks to impress Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the club’s new 25% shareholder, United were in seventh place before this weekend’s fixtures with 35 points after 22 games, with a goal difference of -4.
Ten Hag’s Premier League campaign is fast threatening to overtake the annus horribilis of David Moyes’s 34-league match tenure of 2013-14. When the Scot was sacked on 22 April of that season, United had 57 points and were also in seventh. They ended with 64 points, 22 behind the champions, Manchester City.
