LONDON: Every manager fears an international break when he is under pressure. Few managers are under as much pressure as Erik ten Hag after a goalless draw at Aston Villa confirmed Manchester United’s worst start in the 32 years of the Premier League.

United have won only twice in seven games, have eight points and are closer to the relegation zone (five points) than to the top four (six points). They have scored only five goals, their worst tally after seven games since 1972-73. Last season’s eighth-place finish was the club’s worst in 34 years.

Usually a draw away to Unai Emery’s men would be satisfactory but Villa were far below their best, suffering a hangover after the midweek excitement of beating Bayern in the Champions League.

Passes went astray repeatedly and Emery stamped around his technical area in frustration. A better team than United would have capitalised but they created very little. Marcus Rashford went close once and Bruno Fernandes struck the bar with a free kick but United would not have deserved the three points.

All attention will now switch to fashionable Kensington tomorrow [TUE] and a meeting of United’s decision-makers at the London offices of part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe. Last week Ratcliffe said: “I like Erik. He’s a very good coach but at the end of the day it’s not my call. It’s the management team running United who have to decide how we best run the team in many different respects.”

That management team comprises Ratciffe, the executive co-chairman Joel Glazer, INEOS head of sport Sir Dave Brailsford, United ceo Omar Berrada, sporting director Dan Ashworth, technical director Jason Wilcox, chief financial officer Roger Bell and chief operating officer Collette Roche.

Ten Hag insists they all work closely together. After the match he said: “We are always speaking, every week, so we are all on board, all together, all in one place. We know where we are working. It’s long-term project. We have just proved in two very tough away games that this is a tea with togetherness, spirit who believe in the faith they have.”

However, if Ten Hag’s fellow executives believe he has run out of time then they did prepare the ground for a change of manager during the summer. One target was Mauricio Pochettino but he has now taken over the United States national team. This has left Thomas Tuchel and ex-England boss Gareth Southgate as the last options who are not in work.

Southgate would be reluctant to confront the challenge and problems of United so soon after eight tough years with the national team. So Tuchel would be favourite. He was close to replacing Ten Hag in the summer. Talks reportedly broke down over his amount of power and financial terms.

#####