Sir Alex Ferguson chooses not to watch Man Utd as Erik ten Hag fights to save his job

Manchester United failed to win against Porto in a game that was expected to be critical for Erik ten Hag’s prospects of maintaining his job at Old Trafford, yet their iconic previous manager opted to shun the Red Devils.

Sir Alex Ferguson has been a frequent at Manchester United’s away games, but he passed off Thursday’s trip to Porto as the pressure on Erik ten Hag mounts.

The Red Devils traveled to Portugal on Thursday evening for their second Europa League group stage encounter of the season. It was considered as a pivotal game for Ten Hag and his chances of maintaining his job following a dismal run of results.

But United were unable to cross the line. Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund scored to put them ahead, only for Pepe and Samu Omorodion to equalize matters.

The latter scored twice to complete the turnaround for the hosts, before Bruno Fernandes was sent off for the second time in a row. Harry Maguire led the Red Devils to a late comeback.

Despite the thrilling match at the Estadio do Dragao, Ferguson missed it. The great manager chose to attend Rangers’ Europa League match against Lyon instead.

The Scottish side struggled at Ibrox, losing 4-1. Despite this, he continued to watch the game.

Video footage shows him addressing fellow spectators the score between United and Porto just after Maguire scored his late equalizer. Ferguson’s decision to reject his old club comes only days after he supposedly selected a replacement for Erik ten Hag.

According to reports in Italy, the 82-year-old has agreed to hire former Juventus manager Max Allegri. Ferguson, when asked about Ten Hag’s situation last year, was effusive in his appreciation.

He stated, “I believe Ten Hag has done an excellent job. He’s grabbed it, he’s brought in his own guys – which I believe was critical – and if he can get the center forward ready fast, they’ll be a very good team. Because that’s exactly what they’ve been lacking in recent years: a center forward.

Fans will be keeping a watch out for Ferguson this weekend, as Ten Hag faces another crucial game in his bid to maintain his job. The Red Devils will face Aston Villa in the West Midlands on Sunday afternoon.

Following his team’s tie in Portugal, Ten Hag stated, “It’s mixed feelings. We scored two beautiful goals and then turned off. We’re not keeping possession or defending; we’re switching off. We concede the first goal, which was completely unjustified, and then you start a fire in this stadium, making things difficult.

“We addressed it at halftime, and you conceded a third one, which was needless. It doesn’t make sense to defend again. That has to do with some willingness in some situations.

“But then I have to praise the guys, how they return in the game and how they fight and find a way to get an equaliser.”