Erik ten Hag sends clear message to Man Utd chiefs ahead of sack decision meeting

Erik ten Hag has disclosed that he has been in frequent communication with the Manchester United administration despite the current criticism on his job ahead of the international break.

Erik ten Hag feels he and the Manchester United leadership are on the same page despite recent rumors over his long-term future.

It was anticipated in the build-up to Sunday’s encounter that Ten Hag may be fired if the Red Devils suffered another defeat against Unai Emery’s side, with the United hierarchy scheduled to meet over the international break.

However, when asked about his future following Sunday’s dull 0-0 draw with Aston Villa, he asserted that not only is he in constant communication with United’s top brass, but they are all on the same page.

“We always speak; every week we speak. We’re all on the same page, we know what we’re working on, and it’s a long process,” he told Sky Sports.”We have got through two really difficult away games. This is a team; we demonstrated our belief and faith.

While a draw at Villa Park is a fine result, United have had their worst start to a Premier League season, winning only two of their first seven games.

However, as he reflected on the afternoon’s events, Ten Hag pointed out several positives. He told Sky Sports: “I believe it’s the fourth clean sheet this season. You can tell that we were really organized and worked well together. The team has good character and spirit. Determined and resilient.

“We virtually didn’t concede a chance; when you defend like this and have some luck, they had a great opportunity at the end, but it was almost the only one, I believe.

“We generated some, but not many, opportunities. We hit the crossbar, and Rashford had chances. But the two teams were well balanced.”In Porto, our build-up was excellent, and we outplayed Porto in the first 25 minutes. Also, Palace was really good in possession; we’ve had some terrific games this season. However, we did not generate many opportunities today, but we performed well as a team.

“We created a lot of opportunities in our seven games, but we need to step up. We must keep in mind that Hojlund is only returning and is still working his way back to full health. However, others are stepping up. I was pleased with Rashford, Garnacho, and Antony near the end.