Ten Hag sack: Pressure ‘ramps up’ on Man Utd boss as Dutchman fumes at controversial penalty call

West Ham United have heaped more pressure on Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag after beating the Red Devils 2-1 at the London Stadium.

Man Utd dominated large portions of the game and missed countless big chances before ultimately suffering their fourth defeat in nine Premier League games so far.

The result leaves Man Utd 14th in the table. It is by some distance their worst start to a Premier League campaign and it’s no surprise to see some supporters calling for Ten Hag to be sacked.

Following the game, former Manchester City and Tottenham midfielder Michael Brown said that the pressure on Ten Hag is now on ‘another level.’

Sources have previously told TEAMtalk that Sir Jim Ratcliffe is ready to sack Ten Hag, but only when a suitable replacement has been found for him.

“What is going to happen with Erik ten Hag now? The pressure has ramped up to yet another level and things cannot continue like this.” Brown said on BBC Radio Five Live.

“Football is so cruel because his side were miles the better team in the first half and should have been out of sight. Today they have been unlucky.”

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Ten Hag: ‘That’s football’

Speaking after the game, Ten Hag made it clear that he felt his team were hard done by and deserved to take all three points.

“Three times this season we feel injustice,” Ten Hag told BBC’s Match of the Day.

“We have to score, we created so many chances. We should’ve been two or three up. Second half we were forcing it but we allowed them into the game.

“When you are losing 1-0 you need big personality and character of the team and showed resilience to get back into it. Unfair and unjust the way we conceded the penalty.”

West Ham’s 92nd minute winner came from a Jarrod Bowen penalty which was conceded by Matthijs de Ligt, a decision which Ten Hag felt was unjustified.

“It was so difficult to see ‘[the foul],” Ten Hag said. Before the season there was the instruction about VAR only interfering in clear and obvious mistakes. That is definitely not a clear and obvious mistake from the on field referee.

“More frustrations but I can do nothing with that. They don’t collect points and that’s what we have to do. We have to look in the mirror, we don’t score in a good game from our side. Create loads of chances and concede none but when you lose in this way it’s a bad feeling.

“I spoke with them [the match officials]. But the decision is made. There’s no way back and that’s football. That’s a third time I have felt injustice in the season and it has a big impact on our team and on our scores and where we are in the table. It’s not right.”

Man Utd draw up Ten Hag replacement shortlist – sources

As we exclusively revealed on Tuesday, Man Utd have identified Brentford manager Thomas Frank as a serious contender to replace Ten Hag, should they decide to sack him.

We understand that Frank, who has done a fine job with the Bees, is open to the opportunity to become the new Red Devils manager.

The Danish coach is fully focused on Brentford for now but that could change if Ten Hag is axed. He isn’t the only name on Man Utd’s shortlist, however.

TEAMtalk can reveal that Graham Potter, Eddie Howe, Lucien Favre, Edin Terzic and Massimiliano Allegri have all been discussed as options behind the scenes at Old Trafford.

It will be interesting to see how the Man Utd hierarchy respond to the defeat to Man Utd. The Red Devils will play Leicester City on Wednesday before facing Chelsea at home on Sunday – two games that could be crucial in Ten Hag’s future.

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