Aston Villa 0-0 Man United: Erik ten Hag survives make-or-break clash as spoils are shared in goalless draw against Unai Emery’s hosts
In a season already littered with shuddering setbacks and personal humiliations, this will have felt like a little like a win for Erik ten Hag.
A win in so much as it wasn’t another defeat. A win in so much as it wasn’t another afternoon that left his head spinning and his employment prospects tossed once more on to the autumn breeze. A win in so much as it looked as though his Manchester United players were maybe still playing for him, just.
The United manager got a bit lucky. He was lucky that this was not the Aston Villa we have come to know here this season. This was Villa-lite, down on energy and adrenaline after their disposal of Bayern Munich in the Champions League last Wednesday.
He was also lucky that Marcus Rashford was not sent off for a lazy and stupid hack at an opponent with 25 minutes left. Rashford had already been booked and should have walked.
And, finally, he was lucky that a 93rd minute shot by Villa’s Jaden Philagene did not find the net. United defender Diogo Dalot blocked it but replays showed the Portuguese had simply turned his back on the shot and it struck him and flew wide.
Manchester United took a point away from Aston Villa as a goalless draw gave Erik ten Hag some much needed breathing space
Neither side could break the deadlock as spoils were shared in a goalless draw
United boss Ten Hag took off Marcus Rashford with the winger already on a yellow card
United goalkeeper Andre Onana denied Villa on several occasions as his defence held firm
So, yes, Ten Hag rode it a bit here and – with United’s minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe sitting in the stand – it’s true that some of the big statistics still stand against him. Fourteenth in the Premier League. Two wins from seven and their worst points tally at this stage since 1989/90. Five league goals, the second worst in the top flight. None of this is good.
But the truth is that nobody gets an easy ride at Villa Park these days. Both Arsenal and Manchester City lost here last season. Arsenal had a mighty battle to prevail against Unai Emery’s team in August. Bayern went home beaten and bowed.
And it is this that Ten Hag must cling to as he heads into an international break. His team were always in this game. Rashford was twice close and Bruno Fernandes hit the bar.
It was a desperately poor match but the United manager won’t care. This was an afternoon that had personal and professional survival as its central theme. In that regard, his team may have just about have shown enough fight to enable him to limp towards Tuesday’s scheduled Old Trafford board meeting and beyond.
Fresh from his peculiar claim last Friday that he will have no say in terms of Ten Hag’s future, Ratcliffe sat in the directors’ box with Sir Alex Ferguson. Both know how a United team should look like and this isn’t it.
United spent a lot of money on young talent this summer yet started with Christian Eriksen in midfield and Harry Maguire and Jonny Evans at the centre of defence. It looked on paper like a team ready to be beaten.
The truth is that when off-season recruits such Matthijs De Ligt and Joshua Zirkzee came on later in the game – De Lijt at half-time after a Maguire injury – United got worse. By the end they were the team looking for the whistle.
Villa were not the Villa we know. Ten Hag will claim some credit for that and with justification. Missing John McGinn, Jacob Ramsey and Amadou Onana, Villa were not at full strength. When England defender Ezri Konsa went off after fifteen minutes, they were further depleted.
United stakeholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe (pictured) watched on at Villa Park
Villa boss Unai Emery watched as his players produced an unusually below-par outing
In a poor first half, United perhaps had the best chances. Rashford drove infield after only three minutes and Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez parried his right foot drive. Later in the opening period, Alejandro Garnacho did likewise and Martinez held his shot at the near post.
Villa were patchy as an attacking threat, only Morgan Rogers threatening to break through with an early shot that excited the crowd but actually found only the side netting.
United’s reshuffle at half-time was part enforced as del Ligt replaced Maguire and part tactical as Victor Lindelof came on at right-back for another summer signing, Noussair Mazraoui. Rashford worked Martinez again immediately and Fernandes was to strike the bar with a beautiful right-foot free-kick in the 69th minute.
By then, however, United should have been playing with ten. Rashford’s foul on Leon Bailey was deliberate and he should have gone. Ten Hag admitted later he substituted him for his own good.
On the whole, Villa improved marginally while United didn’t. Zirkzee looks drained of confidence already up front while De Ligt looks slow and immobile.
These early impressions may prove to be misleading over time and United must hope that’s the case. If their summer arrivals don’t work out then it won’t really matter who the manager is.
Late in the piece here, Villa looked the more likely. United’s play on the counter was largely wasteful.
Onana saved well from Youri Tielemans after Villa worked a corner nicely across then top of the penalty area towards the Belgian’s right foot. There were then a couple of overlaps down the Villa left that didn’t work and then, at death, one that did.
Jaden Philogene (middle) had a late goalscoring chance blocked by Diogo Dalot (left)
Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez (right) stood strong as United hauled crosses into his box
Jhon Duran (right) failed to continue his sensational run of goalscoring form off the bench
Tan Hag admitted later that Dalot’s block carried a little fortune. But at least the defender was there. So is Ten Hag, for now. Afterwards the United manager said his team had been more solid and he was right. This was their fourth league clean sheet.
As for his claim that United will ‘click’ as time goes on, the evidence to support that remains desperately scant.
