Dutchman Erik ten Hag had a fantastic debut season as Manchester United’s manager after arriving from Ajax, but last season was turbulent. They failed to secure a Champions League spot, but winning the FA Cup and triumphing against city rivals Manchester City at Wembley saved Ten Hag’s position at the helm of the Old Trafford giants.The new season has brought the same old struggles. The pressure is immense, and the results are modest. Ten Hag knows that only trophies will keep him in his position, and his dismissal has been looming like Damocles’ sword for a while. The pressure increased after a poor performance on Thursday against Twente in the Europa League opener. Just one point (1-1) at home is a poor outcome for the top favorite to win the trophy in UEFA’s second-tier competition.Ten Hag is aware of the challenges early in the season before today’s (6.30 PM EAT) derby against Tottenham, another team that hasn’t started well and is mid-table in the Premier League.“Trophies are what this club stands for. United has the highest possible goals every year. We want to reach the Champions League, that’s clear. We have two paths. One is through the Premier League, and the other is through the Europa League. We are judged on every game, and that’s normal. Everyone expects United to win every match. We know that. It’s no secret. When you’re at this club, you have to handle this factor, and we do. It doesn’t matter if you’re young or old or whatever. We have to handle it. We need to give our best and meet the expectations.”Palmer on his record-breaking four-goal performance: ‘I should have scored five or six’United’s problem is their lack of efficiency in the Premier League. Just five goals in five games, three of which came against Southampton. The new signing Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna hasn’t solved that issue. He has been going goalless since his debut against Fulham, where he secured three points. Marcus Rashford is out of form. Both players have scored just one goal each, while Danish player Rasmus Højlund has only just started playing after recovering from injury.“We need to be more efficient and score more goals because that’s how we win matches,” Ten Hag said ‘philosophically’.On the other side, it seems the honeymoon is over for Ange Postecoglou and Tottenham. The Greek-Australian manager is also under pressure, though not as much as Ten Hag, as Spurs haven’t won a trophy in a long time. Last season, Postecoglou started brilliantly, but narrowly missed out on fourth place, which went to Aston Villa.##EDITORS_CHOICE##While Ten Hag knows that only silverware will keep him in charge at the Theatre of Dreams, Spurs’ manager has a different view. Ahead of the clash with United, he shared his theory.“If Erik hadn’t won something, people would be saying he needs to win something. It’s a trap you can fall into, thinking everyone will love you if you win something. That’s why I always say I want to build a team that has the opportunity for sustainable success. That’s what you need. Success isn’t guaranteed, but if you build something that gives you a chance year after year, then you have more opportunities to create a period where the club can see itself as a contender for trophies,” said Postecoglou.Tottenham’s manager doesn’t have the same problem with efficiency as his counterpart, but matches against stronger rivals like Newcastle and Arsenal have exposed Spurs’ weaknesses, showing they might not yet be a team for major achievements. These two clubs are among those vying for a top-four spot, along with Chelsea, Aston Villa, Newcastle, and Brighton. City, Arsenal, and even the newly revitalized Liverpool under Arne Slot seem closer to competing for the Premier League title.📊On Target shots saved, Saved xG on Target per shot and Pass distribution zone wise (Visually) ⚪️Guglielmo Vicario (Tottenham)🔴André Onana (Manchester United) #PremierLeague pic.twitter.com/QFQAZj5JgL— EPL – Analytics (@DataAnalyticEPL) September 29, 2024 Tottenham haven’t won in their last two Premier League away games (a draw and a loss). Last season, the match between these two teams at Old Trafford ended 2-2, while in North London, Tottenham defeated Ten Hag’s team 2-0.Both managers have a better squad situation compared to the start of the season. Ten Hag could give a chance to the recovered Højlund in attack instead of Zirkzee. The Dane has only played 27 minutes this season, 12 of which were in the Premier League last week against Crystal Palace in London (0-0). Victor Lindelof, Tyrell Malacia, Luke Shaw, and new signing Lenny Yoro (who hasn’t yet played a minute for his new club) are unavailable. For Tottenham, Brazilian forward Richarlison remains sidelined.Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspurs Combined XI #TheWildcard pic.twitter.com/aQwjnVo3w2— The Jabroni Slayer ⚔️🇰🇪 (@Nyaassh) September 29, 2024 PREMIER LEAGUE – MATCHDAY 6SaturdayNewcastle – Man.City 1-1 (0-1)/Gordon 58 pen – Gvardiol 35/Arsenal – Leicester 4-2 (2-0)/Martinelli 20, Trossard 45+2, Ndidi 90+4, Havertz 90+10 – Justin 47, 63/Brentford – West Ham 1-1 (1-0)/Mbeumo 1 – Soucek 54/Chelsea – Brighton 4-2 (4-2)/Palmer 21, 28 pen, 31, 40 – Rutter 7, Baleba 34/Everton – Crystal Palace 2-1 (0-1)/McNeil 47, 54 – Guehi 10/Nott.Forest – Fulham 0-1 (0-0)/Jimenez 51 pen/Wolverhampton – Liverpool 1-2 (0-1)/Ait-Nouri 56 – Konate 45+2, Salah 61 pen/Sunday16:00: (4.40) Ipswich (3.50) Aston Villa (1.85)18:30: (2.35) Man.Utd. (3.60) Tottenham (2.85)Monday22:00: (1.65) Bournemouth (3.80) Southampton (5.40)***odds are subject to change***
