Bruno Fernandes

If you believe the English media, Ten Hag has less and less time to save his job at Old Trafford. Manchester United will play against Aston Villa on Sunday. A stumble at Villa Park may determine the fate of the 54-year-old.

It is not the first time that the press has speculated about the future of Ten Hag. The Dutchman’s dismissal was widely reported just after the end of the 2023/2024 season. Manchester United was looking for a new coach at the time, but after a detailed analysis, they came to the conclusion that Ten Hag was the best candidate to bring the team back to the top.

Manchester United started the 2024/2025 season disastrously, which again caused an avalanche of speculation about Ten Hag. Recent reports suggest that the Red Devils are ready to resume talks with Thomas Tuchel, who was linked with taking the job at the Theater of Dreams last summer.

Portal iNews informs that negotiations with Tuchel ended in failure due to financial issues and the scope of the German coach’s influence. However, Tuchel was not written off for good. The Red Devils intend to return to talks with the German if Erik ten Hag is released.

Ten Hag’s potential successors also include Graham Potter and Gareth Southgate. However, Mauricio Pochettino, who recently became the new coach of the US national team, is no longer taken into account.

It is possible that Manchester United will decide on a short-term solution after Ten Haga’s dismissal. Ruud van Nistelrooy may take over the role of interim coach. The Dutchman joined the Red Devils’ training staff in the summer.

Manchester United will have an October break for national team matches after the match against Aston Villa. The Red Devils will return to action on Saturday, October 19.

Erik ten Hag slightly changed Manchester United’s starting eleven compared to the clash with Tottenham Hotspur. In the middle of the pitch, experienced Casemiro and Christian Eriksen got a chance. Amad Diallo and Rasmus Hojlund also started the match from the beginning.

The first minutes belonged to the FC Porto team, which launched decisive attacks. Already in the 2nd minute, Andre Onana made a good intervention, saving Galeno’s shot.

Five minutes later, Manchester United celebrated the opening goal. Christian Eriksen extended the action to the left wing, where Marcus Rashford dribbled with two FC Porto players, cut the action to the center and surprised Diogo Costa with a shot into the short corner.

The goal scored gave Erik ten Haga’s players confidence. In the 15th minute, the Red Devils were close to increasing their lead. Ze Pedro almost put the ball into his own goal.

In the 20th minute, Manchester United launched another quick attack. Andre Onana kicked the ball into his own goal. Christian Eriksen played to Marcus Rashford, who spotted Rasmus Hojlund in the penalty area, who beat Diogo Costa with a shot into the short corner. The Portuguese goalkeeper was surprised in a similar way for the second time.

With the score at 2-0, Manchester United had a good opportunity to increase their lead. In the 24th minute, Costa made a good intervention after Rashford’s shot.

FC Porto players ignored the Red Devils’ two-goal lead and did what they could to get back into the game. In the 27th minute, the hosts made contact. After a throw-in into the penalty area, Noussair Mazraoui made an unfortunate intervention, almost surprising Andre Onana with his header. The Cameroonian knocked the ball down, but Pepe Aquino quickly made the rebound.

FC Porto’s frenzied attacks continued. In the 34th minute at the Estadio do Dragao there was a 2-2 draw. Joao Mario threw the ball from the right wing, Samu Omorodion ran past Matthijs de Ligt on the third meter and beat Andre Onana with a shot under the crossbar.

Before the break, Manchester United had two good chances to score the third goal. Casemiro’s shot from a few meters was saved by Diogo Costa, and in stoppage time, after an impressive dribble, Marcus Rashford missed the chance to shoot from close range.

The second half could have started badly for Manchester United. In the 47th minute, Francisco Moura had a great opportunity to score a goal for FC Porto. The home team’s defender ran into the Red Devils’ penalty area, shot from close range, and Andre Onana made an effective intervention.

In the 50th minute, FC Porto achieved their goal. Pepe carried out a quick attack on the right wing, played five meters to Samu Omorodion, and the latter shot under the crossbar without giving Onana the slightest chance.

Manchester United tried to react to the conceded goal and lead to a draw. In the 62nd minute, Noussair Mazraoui made a clever sliding shot. The Moroccan’s shot caused a lot of problems for Diogo Costa. FC Porto responded with a shot from Samu. If it weren’t for Onana’s good intervention, the Spanish striker would have enjoyed a hat-trick.

Manchester United had to play short from the 80th minute. Bruno Fernandes was sent off. The Portuguese wanted to get to the ball in the penalty area, he raised his leg high and although he missed Nehuen Perez, the referee had the right to send him off the field.

A moment after leaving the pitch, FC Porto had an excellent situation at 4:2. However, substitute Deniz Gul did not take advantage of the one-on-one situation with Onana.

In the 88th minute, Alejandro Garnacho was close to being lucky. The Argentinian fired a powerful shot from outside the penalty area, but Diogo Costa made a great intervention between the posts, rehabilitating himself for mistakes in two goals for the Red Devils.

Manchester United equalized the score in the 91st minute. Erika ten Haga players had a corner kick. Christian Eriksen sent a good cross into the penalty area. Harry Maguire scored well in the fifth meter and scored a 3-3 draw with a header.

FC Porto – Manchester United 3:3 (2:2)
Goals: Pepe Aquino 27, Samu Omorodion 34′, Samu Omorodion 50′ – Marcus Rashford 7′, Rasmus Hojlund 20′, Harry Maguire 90’+1′
Red card: Bruno Fernandes 80′

FC Porto: Costa – Mario (Gul 77′), Ze Pedro, Perez, Moura – Gonzalez, Eustaquio (Vieira 77′), Varela – Pepe (Fernandes 62′), Samu (Grujić 77′), Galeno

Manchester United: Onana – Mazraoui, De Ligt (Evans 78′), Martinez (Maguire 78′), Dalot – Casemiro, Eriksen – Rashford (Garnacho 46′), Fernandes, Amad (Antony 68′) – Hojlund (Zirkzee 68′)

The club from Old Trafford has high hopes for young players and wants to keep them for many years. Sky Sports News reports that Mainoo and Amad are to be rewarded with new contracts as the players continue to play an increasing role in the Manchester United first team.

Mainoo’s current contract runs until June 2027, while Diallo is under contract until June 2025.

– I think that Kobbie Mainoo is appreciated by us, both by the club and the team – says Ten Hag in an interview with Sky Sports.

– We are satisfied with his development and we hope that he will continue this process. Management needs to start talks about the contract and a decision needs to be made. We do this, of course, in consultation.

– That’s how we think about it. We always talk about our players who are making progress and what we want to do with it. When there is news, we will be the first to tell you about it, adds the Dutchman.

Kobbie Mainoo’s contract with Manchester United is worth £20,000 a week. Amad Diallo’s weekly salary is around £30,000.

Erik ten Hag intends to take the Europa League games seriously, and this is what the Red Devils’ lineup looked like against Twente. The Dutch manager decided on a strong eleven, making three changes compared to the clash with Crystal Palace. Harry Maguire, Manuel Ugarte and Marcus Rashford had a chance from the first minutes.

Twente’s players started the match at Old Trafford better. The visitors played ambitiously and in the 8th minute they had a great opportunity to open the score. Diogo Dalot made a mistake in the corner of the pitch, Bart van Rooij recovered the ball and played it to Sam Lammers, who added his foot, but shot just past the far post of Andre Onana’s goal.

Manchester United seriously threatened Twente’s goal only in the 26th minute. Bruno Fernandes made a nice pass into the penalty area, Lisandro Martinez headed the ball to the sixth meter, and then Mees Hilgers made an unfortunate intervention. The football was heading towards Twente’s goal, but Lars Unnerstall made an instinctive intervention.

Twente played ambitiously, but high pressure from the first minute made the guests lose their strength and Manchester United started to assert themselves more often. In the 35th minute, the Red Devils took the lead. Bruno Fernandes passed into the penalty area to Diogo Dalot, who did not control the ball, but it fortunately went to Christian Eriksen. The Dane hit a long corner from thirteen meters and gave the Twente goalkeeper no chance!

Before the break, the Red Devils carried out one more intelligent attack. In the 40th minute, Noussair Mazraoui scored a strong shot. However, Unnerstall remained vigilant between the posts.

Manchester United was aware that the second goal could decide the fate of the opening match in the Europa League. Erika ten Haga’s players were close to the second goal in the 53rd minute. Harry Maguire had his chance after a corner kick. The ball fell at the Englishman’s feet on the seventh meter, the defender made a situational shot, but the Twente goalkeeper remained vigilant in the goal.

In the 59th minute, the guests could have scored the equalizer. Twente had a free kick after a foul by Lisandro Martinez. Sem Steijn took a dangerous shot from over twenty meters, the ball flew just past the post, and Onana made a good save.

Manchester United played slowly and were reprimanded for it in the 68th minute. Bart van Rooij made an impressive charge from under his own goal. After a while, Christian Eriksen made an error in his own half and lost the ball to Sam Lammers. He got into the United sixteen, hit the short corner hard and surprised Andre Onana. We had a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.

After conceding the goal, Twente launched further attacks on Manchester United’s goal. The Red Devils made a great move in the 76th minute. Joshua Zirkzee fired a sharp shot at Unnerstall’s goal, but the Twente goalkeeper survived the duel unscathed. A few minutes later, Bruno Fernandes was close to luck. The Portuguese shot from fifteen meters and made a really minor mistake.

The Red Devils were looking for a goal at the end that would give them the opening victory, but unfortunately they didn’t find it…

Manchester United – FC Twente 1:1 (1:0)
Goals: Christian Eriksen 35’ – Sam Lammers 68’

Manchester United: Onana – Mazraoui, Maguire, Martinez, Dalot – Ugarte, Eriksen (Mainoo 79′) – Diallo (Garnacho 67′), Fernandes, Rashford (Mount 79′) – Zirkzee (Hojlund 79′)

Twente: Unnerstall – Salah-Eddine, Bruns, Hilgers, Van Rooij – Vlap (Klojo 60′), Regeer (Lagerbielke 83′) – Steijn (Rots 60′) – Van Bergen (Ltaief 74′), Lammers (Besselink 83′), Van Wolfshop

Manuel Ugarte has been named in the squad for the match against Southampton. The Uruguayan international starts the match against Saints on the bench. Erik ten Hag also gives Christian Eriksen a chance from the first minute. The Dane jumps into the line-up at the expense of Casemiro.

Southampton vs Man Utd: Live Coverage

Compared to the match against Liverpool, Manchester United have two changes. Apart from Eriksen, Amad Diallo gets a chance from the start. The Ivorian comes on for Alejandro Garnacho.

The Red Devils will be looking to get back on the winning track at St Mary’s Stadium after defeats to Brighton & Hove Albion (1-2) and Liverpool (0-3). The Southampton vs Manchester United match kicks off at 13:30.

Southampton: Ramsdale – Sugawara, Bednarek, Stephens, Walker-Peters – Downes, Ugochukwu, Fernandes, Dibling – Archer, Diaz

Reserve: McCarthy, Hardwood-Bellis, Taylor, Fraser, Lallana, Aribo, Cronet, Armstrong, Stewart

Manchester United: Onana – Dalot, De Ligt, Martinez, Mazraoui – Mainoo, Eriksen – Rashford, Fernandes, Amad – Zirkzee

Reserve: Bayindir, Evans, Maguire, Casemiro, Collyer, Ugarte, Antony, Garnacho, Wheatley