Fernandes' free-kick hit the crossbar and sent United to a five-game winless run in all competitions as they held Aston Villa to a draw. Whether United will make the decision to sack Ten Hag during the international break is still unclear.
After successive draws with Crystal Palace and FC Twente, the media believed that the next three games would be a "Paulten trilogy", and if United did not perform well in the three games against Tottenham, Porto and Villa, then the club could change managers.
However, United continued their sluggish run of form, losing 3-0 at home to Tottenham Hotspur before drawing 3-3 at Porto in the Europa League. If this performance continues against Villa, it will be Ten Hag's farewell game in charge of Manchester United.
The Manchester Evening News noted: "It is widely believed that Sunday's game against Villa will be Ten Hag's defining moment, with INEOS weighing their options. ”
Faced with a back-to-back battle, Ten Hag opted for a conservative tactic, allowing Harry Maguire and Evans to form a double centre-back, while emphasizing shrinking the defence and trying not to give the opponent a chance to shoot. It paid off, with Villa unable to find the back of the net and Fernandes' free-kick being the closest either team could get to the back of the net.
If United lose to Villa, then the United management may make the decision to sack Ten Hag. However, Manchester United held Villa to a draw, which presented another problem for the United management.
This may be one of the problems facing Manchester United, with Merson pointing out that "United will only win in the Premier League when they are desperately needed to win." In the past we kept talking about Ten Hag going to be sacked and then they would win against a team in the bottom half and then everything was forgotten. ”
After Sunday's game, the Premier League will have a two-week break. If United decide to change managers, it would be the ideal time. According to the media, Manchester United's management will meet in London next Tuesday and Ten Hag's position will certainly be one of the issues, with Joel Glazer, Ratcliffe and Brailsford all in attendance. According to the Manchester Evening News, the decision on whether to sack Ten Hag will be made by chief executive Berarda and sporting director Ashworth.
Neville revealed that United do not want a change of manager at this time, "When you talk to people around the club, it's a sure thing that they don't want to make that decision. They want to stay calm and keep Ten Hag in charge this season, but sometimes things can get out of your control. ”
The real problem is that in his third season in charge of Manchester United, Ten Hag's side have gone five games without a win and picked up just eight points from seven games, and the Reds are 14th in the Premier League, and after spending £600 million in signings, the Reds are still "half-in-product".