Man United fire another blank in Aston Villa stalemate
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Manchester United manager Erik ten Ha's job is under threat after a poor start to the season.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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LONDON – Erik ten Hag insisted that his team played well, despite their winless run stretching to five games after a 0-0 English Premier League draw at Aston Villa on Oct 6 that did little to ease the pressure on the Manchester United manager.
Bruno Fernandes hit the crossbar with the best effort from either side with a second-half free-kick but United have now failed to score in their past three Premier League games.
A point leaves ten Hag’s men still down in 14th, having won just two of their opening seven league games of the season.
“You see we had a very good organisation and togetherness. There was good character and good spirit as a team. Determined, resilient,” said the United boss.
“We almost didn’t concede a chance, when you defend like this and get some luck, in the end they had a big chance but it was almost the only chance I think.
“We created some chances, also not so many chances. We hit the crossbar and also (Marcus) Rashford had chances. But the two teams were really balanced.”
Fifth-placed Villa missed the chance to move into the top four as they were unable to repeat their heroics of beating Bayern Munich on Oct 2.
United’s 3-0 humiliation on home soil by Tottenham on Sept 29 had plunged ten Hag’s job back into peril.
A 3-3 draw against Porto in the Europa League on Oct 3 did the Dutchman’s case little favours as United blew an early two-goal lead to trail 3-2 before Harry Maguire’s added-time equaliser.
Ten Hag reacted by dropping centre-backs Lisandro Martinez and Matthijs de Ligt after their chastening night in Portugal, with Maguire and veteran Jonny Evans brought back into the starting line-up.
Villa had a far more memorable European night when Bayern were beaten 1-0 as the Champions League returned to Birmingham for the first time in over 40 years.
Both sides showed signs of fatigue as the match failed to spark into life.
Rashford was the visitors’ biggest threat. The England international cut inside and forced Emiliano Martinez into the only save of the first half with a powerful strike after five minutes.
Morgan Rogers fired wide at the other end, but United’s reshaped defence held out with little problems until the break.
Ten Hag was forced into another defensive reshuffle at half-time as Maguire and Noussair Mazraoui were forced off injured as de Ligt and Victor Lindelof came on.
Rashford forced Martinez into another good save with a blistering shot from outside the box.
But he was lucky not to be sent off for two bookable offences just minutes apart.
Fernandes came as close to anyone to scoring a winner with a free kick that came back off the bar.
Villa manager Unai Emery turned to super substitute Jhon Duran to win the game.
The Colombian has scored five goals off the bench this season but even he could not liven up a sluggish Villa performance.
They did have one big chance to snatch all three points when de Ligt failed to cut out a cross and Jaden Philogene’s shot was deflected wide by Diogo Dalot.
A return of eight points from their opening seven league games is United’s worst since 1989.
Co-owner Jim Ratcliffe was in the stands at Villa Park and with a two-week international break to come, the United hierarchy must decide whether to hand ten Hag a stay of execution or decide it is time for change.
On his future, ten Hag added: “We always speak, every week we speak.
“We are all on board together, on one page, we know what we are working through – it’s a long-term process.
“We have come through two very tough away games. This is a team, we showed the belief and faith we have.” AFP
