Manchester United hold Aston Villa to leave Ten Hag’s future up in the air

Quite what this draw does for Erik ten Hag is unknown but it may just spare him the indignity of what would have happened had Manchester United slumped to defeat at Aston Villa. Maybe. Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Sir Dave Brailsford, Omar Berrada, Dan Ashworth and Jason Wilcox, United’s top brass, had the best seats in the house and will surely review Ten Hag’s position over the international break. Bruno Fernandes rattled the crossbar with a fine free-kick and United’s performance was hardly disgraceful. And yet, their last win was against Barnsley and it is now five games without a win.

From training at Boavista the morning after Harry Maguire’s stoppage-time intervention against Porto to a grey Sunday afternoon in Birmingham. Kobbie Mainoo was among those involved in Friday’s session exclusively designed for players, Alejandro Garnacho aside, who did not begin the draw and Mainoo returned to the starting lineup here as one of four changes. Ten Hag’s boldest calls, however, came in defence with Jonny Evans, 37 in January, and Maguire, 31, parachuted into the heart of the United backline in place of Matthijs de Ligt and Lisandro Martínez. Ten Hag’s team selection prompted Gary Neville to joke he thought he and his brother, Phil, may be playing at full-back. At least it seemed he was joking. Maguire only made it until half-time after picking up an apparent muscle injury deep into stoppage time that left him with a giant hole in his sock and required him to be helped off the pitch by two members of United’s medical staff.

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