Manchester Evening News

Manchester United are back in action when they host Brentford on Saturday. Erik ten Hag's side have made a dismal start to the season, winning just three of their opening 10 matches across all competitions.

United started the campaign with a 1-0 win at home to Fulham but followed that up with back-to-back defeats against Brighton and Liverpool. Successive victories over Southampton and Barnsley restored the feel-good factor, but United have since failed to win any of their last five matches.

Meanwhile, Brentford have made a mixed start to the season. They have picked up 10 points from their opening seven matches and beat Wolves 5-3 last time out. The Bees have also defeated Crystal Palace and Southampton, with their other point coming against West Ham in a 1-1 draw.

With some kind-looking fixtures on the horizon, United will be keen to get their season going with some victories on the board. So, that being said, football.london has looked at United's upcoming matches and how they compare to their rivals.

Manchester United's next five fixtures

Brentford (H) - October 19

Fenerbahce (A) - October 24

West Ham (A) - October 27

Leicester (H) - October 30

Chelsea (H) - November 3

MEN says: It's cliche to suggest there are no easy games in football, but it's safe to say that United will fancy their chances to win all of their next four matches. Based on their current form, United might struggle to win one, but with the players they have got, there is no reason why they can't go on a run. Chelsea at home at the end of that run could prove to be more challenging, but stranger things have happened.

Chelsea's next five fixtures

Liverpool (A) - October 20 - Premier League

Panathinaikos (A) - October 24 - Conference League

Newcastle (H) - October 27 - Premier League

Newcastle (A) - October 30 - Carabao Cup

Manchester United (A) - November 3 - Premier League

Tottenham's next five fixtures

West Ham (H) - October 19 - Premier League

AZ Alkmaar (H) - October 24 - Europa League

Crystal Palace (A) - October 27 - Premier League

Manchester City (H) - October 30 - Carabao Cup

Aston Villa (H) - November 3 - Premier League

Aston Villa's next five fixtures

Fulham (A) - October 19 - Premier League

Bologna (H) - October 22 - Champions League

AFC Bournemouth (H) - October 26 - Premier League

Crystal Palace (H) - October 30 - Carabao Cup

Tottenham (A) - November 3 - Premier League

Newcastle's next five fixtures

Brighton (H) - October 19 - Premier League

Chelsea (A) - October 27 - Premier League

Chelsea (H) - October 30 - Carabao Cup

Arsenal (H) - November 2 - Premier League

Nottingham Forest (A) - November 10 - Premier League

"Lads, it’s Tottenham," Sir Alex Ferguson famously said before a Manchester United game.

United were facing Tottenham at Old Trafford and Ferguson intelligently used just those three words in the dressing room before the game to tap into the minds of his players.

That phrase has been used to mock Tottenham for their losing DNA and 'Spursy' tendencies ever since. Spurs don't have a winning culture and have been huge underachievers, but they now have something to be proud of, something that is the best in the country: their stadium.

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Tottenham's stadium is the best in the Premier League and it was rebuilt 170 yards away from where White Hart Lane stood, which means the club's feeling hasn't been lost.

Spurs' ground cost around £1billion and their fans were delighted with their new home, which is atmospheric and has leading facilities that create a brilliant matchday experience.

Furthermore, their stadium was the first purpose-built NFL venue outside of the US and Spurs have a deal to host a minimum of two games per year over 10 years, which is an extra revenue stream. Tottenham played home games at Wembley for almost two years.

United intend to submit plans for a new 100,000-seater stadium by the end of the year. The task force agree with Sir Jim Ratcliffe that a new build is the logical proposal to regenerate Old Trafford and its surrounding area.

The earliest date work could begin might be the summer of 2025 and that would also be seen as moving fast considering Ratcliffe only became co-owner of the club in February.

Early estimations suggest a new rebuild would cost around £2billion with roughly three years needed to complete the project, so 2028 would be the earliest completion date.

Tottenham left White Hart Lane in 2016, spent nearly three seasons at Wembley, and moved to their new 61,000-seater venue in 2019, which shows it can be done in that timeframe.

Ratcliffe will celebrate his 75th birthday in 2028 and there's a feeling he's been keen to address the future of Old Trafford to leave a legacy behind in Manchester.

However, although Tottenham have done what some other Premier League clubs have failed to do by moving to a stadium that is loved by their fans - West Ham botched their move from Upton Park in 2016 - they have been forced to increase season ticket prices.

The cheapest adult season ticket at Tottenham costs £856, which equates to £45 per game, and only Arsenal's cheapest season ticket (£1073) costs more in the Premier League. Chelsea charge the third highest price (£810), Liverpool are next (£713) and Newcastle follow (£662) after that.

The most expensive season ticket at Tottenham costs £2,147 and they are the most expensive seats of any in the league, so although their stadium is world-class, Spurs fans have been asked to stump up more cash for tickets and that's a cautionary tale for United fans.

Moving to a new 100,000-seater stadium may see a rise in season ticket prices and that's something fans might have to lobby against when the project gradually develops.

A club source once told the MEN "our tickets are among the most competitive in the top tier of English football," and they were right. The football hasn't always been great since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement but United's ticket prices are objectively good value in the Premier League.

Season ticket prices at Old Trafford were increased for the first time in 11 years - they had been frozen during that period - last season but they remained well priced.

“Ticket prices at Old Trafford – along with matchday food and beverage prices – will remain among the most affordable in the Premier League and we are committed to continuing that approach,” United said.

“However, with the cost of delivering matches up by 40 per cent in the past five years, and 11 per cent in the past 12 months alone, the modest increase in price for the 2023/24 season is necessary to allow the club to operate on a sustainable basis.

“We understand that our fans are also facing pressure from increased living costs and that is why we have kept price increases well below the current rate of inflation.”

The cost of a United season ticket for this season (2024/25) rose again from £551 to £579 and that represented a five per cent rise, which the club felt was necessary due to inflation.

The Manchester United Supporters Trust (MUST) reacted and said: "We felt there were good arguments for another freeze this season and so we did argue against the increase but ultimately it is a club decision and we do recognise that this is roughly in line with inflation."

But even with that increase, nine clubs still charge more than United's cheapest season ticket and the club are proud to continue to offer fans a fair deal for attending games.

United fans want a world-class stadium like Tottenham's but don't want similar ticket prices.

Manchester is a working-class city and the club must tread carefully when deciding prices in the future.

Manchester United boss Marc Skinner has heaped praise on summer signing Elisabeth Terland after she scored her first goals for the club in a 3-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur.

United maintained their perfect start to the Women's Super League (WSL) season with an impressive victory over Spurs at Leigh Sports Village on Sunday. Robert Vilahamn's side had arguably been the better team for much of the first half before Terland's quick-fire brace saw the Reds go into the break two goals to the good.

"I just think she's an incredible talent," Skinner said in his post-match interview. "The beauty of her is I think she slows the moment and sees the opportunity under the most immense pressure."

Terland joined United from fellow WSL side Brighton & Hove Albion in the summer, having scored 13 top flight goals for the Seagulls last term. The Norway international opened her account for the Reds with a superb volley which went in off the underside of the crossbar before netting a back-post header just five minutes later.

"(She's) intense in a good way," Skinner said. "She is a person that is always focused, she doesn't dip off her focus whether it's pressing or whatever the task is, she's all in.

"I think she knows (Erling) Haaland personally and I don't want to compare the two but the immense and intense action of both of them, that's how she performs."

Terland's brace helped United move up to third in the WSL table, level on points with second-place Chelsea and having played a game less than leaders Manchester City. They are yet to concede a goal this term and have looked a much stronger outfit than they appeared last season, when they finished 15 points off a Champions League place.

"I came to a club that wants to achieve big things. I know playing in a better team will make me better," Terland told Sky Sports on Sunday afternoon. "Part of my job is to score goals - it is great to get the first one for the club. A good win today and I am proud of the team."

If/when VAR is confined to the history books as a football experiment that has gone wrong, we will perhaps point to Bruno Fernandes' red card for Manchester United against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, September 29 as the catalyst for the U-turn.

The decision to reach for the red card when Fernandes clumsily stuck a leg out to halt James Maddison was understandable when you saw the angles that Chris Kavanagh and his assistant had. However, we all waited patiently for the inevitable overturn from VAR after seeing the multiple angles the officials in Stockley Park were privy to.

That never came though. Instead, the on-field decision stood and United collapsed further in the second half to a 3-0 defeat.

Did United deserve to lose? Yes. Would the outcome have been different if Fernandes had stayed on? Probably not. Maybe though, the result would not have been so emphatic.

It was mind-blowing that the following week the FA decided to rescind the three-match ban and admit a mistake had been made. It begged the question as to why VAR did not overturn the call on the day.

Was it due to them believing, like the on-field officials, that the red card was correct? No, instead PGMOL chief Howard Webb admitted it was likely because the decision was not wrong enough.

"When the VAR checks it, he forms the opinion that the 'referee’s call' is not clearly wrong because he sees the action with the high contact, no attempt to play the ball, with some force and therefore decides in his professional judgment that the 'referee’s call' is not clearly wrong," Webb explained. That right there is why VAR is truly pointless.

When it was introduced, there was an assumption that the technology would eradicate bad decisions from the game for good ensuring much fairer outcomes. What we have discovered is that errors are still occurring but they are much harder to forgive because VAR has all the angles to make the right call and still they don't.

What Webb has managed to expose this week is the ugly truth that VAR will allow some decisions to go untouched even when they probably think they are wrong. If that is the case, why do we continue to plug away with VAR?

Manchester United have been informed that VAR did not feel Premier League referee Chris Kavanagh's decision to send off Bruno Fernandes was 'clearly wrong' despite the Reds winning an appeal at a later date.

Fernandes was sent off during the defeat to Tottenham Hotspur after a challenge on James Maddison. The dismissal came during a terrible first half with United 1-0 down.

With ten men in the second half, the Reds went on to lose the game 3-0 in a match which put manager Erik ten Hag on the brink of the sack. Last week, the FA confirmed that Fernandes would not serve a three-match ban for the red card which led to questions as to why VAR did not intervene at the time.

In the latest episode Match Officials Mic'd Up, PGMOL head Howard Webb was grilled as to what went wrong on the day that led to Fernandes wrongly being sent off. "The red card was correctly overturned on appeal," he admitted.

"We hear on the audio the assistant referee coming with the information around this being from his position, a red-card offence and the referee takes his advice and issues the red. When you look back on the footage, you see that the contact is high and Bruno Fernandes slips first and puts his foot out to stop Maddison.

"It’s not an attempt for the ball, from the assistant referee’s position - he’s got a good view, a nice open view, a better viewing angle then what the referee has got. [It] looks like there are studs there going into the shin and if there is it would be a red card but it’s just a slight mis-read.

Manchester United have a mixed bag of fixtures to come after a thrilling 3-3 draw against Porto in the Europa League.

The Reds got off to a perfect start in Portugal as Marcus Rashford cut inside from the left-hand side to fire a strike which beat Diogo Costa at his near post. A bad night for the Portuguese goalkeeper became worse as Rasmus Hojlund managed to squeeze a shot underneath him on 20 minutes.

Erik ten Hag's men were pegged back when their confidence was flowing though as Pepe followed up from Andre Onana's good save to make it 2-1. And it was all level again less than ten minutes later as Samu Omorodion beat Matthijs de Ligt from a cross which found the roof of the net.

Incredibly the collapse was completed five minutes into the second half as Omorodion bagged his brace as the defensive line was caught napping. Bruno Fernandes was then sent off with less than ten minutes remaining which looked to have sealed defeat but up stepped Harry Maguire in stoppage time to power a header in and secure a point.

With a crucial run of matches ahead for the Reds, MEN Sport has taken a look at how their next five fixtures stack up to their top-four rivals either side of the October international break.

United's next five fixtures

Aston Villa (A) - October 6 - Premier League

Brentford (H) - October 19 - Premier League

Fenerbahce (A) - October 24 - Europa League

West Ham United (A) - October 27 - Premier League

Leicester City (H) - October 30 - Carabao Cup

MEN Sport's verdict: Sadly in their current predicament no game is easy for the Reds but they will be hoping they can capitalise on Villa suffering 'After the Lord Mayor's Show' syndrome on Sunday at Villa Park. Unai Emery's side will be full of confidence after defeating Bayern Munich but United will be desperate for a result after their start to the season. Victories over Brentford and West Ham in the Premier League won't necessarily save Ten Hag but will likely cost him his position at Old Trafford if they fall to defeat. Meanwhile, a reunion with Jose Mourinho may be the last thing the Reds need in the precarious place they find themselves in.

Chelsea's next five fixtures

Nottingham Forest (H) - October 6 - Premier League

Liverpool (A) - October 20 - Premier League

Panathinaikos (A) - October 24 - Conference League

Newcastle United (H) - October 27 - Premier League

Newcastle United (A) - October 30 - Carabao Cup

Tottenham Hotspur's next five fixtures

Brighton and Hove Albion (A) - October 6 - Premier League

West Ham United (H) - October 19 - Premier League

AZ Alkmaar (H) - October 24 - Europa League

Crystal Palace (A) - October 27 - Premier League

Manchester City (H) - October 30 - Carabao Cup

Aston Villa's next five fixtures

Manchester United (H) - October 6 - Premier League

Fulham (A) - October 19 - Premier League

Bologna (H) - October 22 - Champions League

AFC Bournemouth (H) - October 26 - Premier League

Crystal Palace (H) - October 30 - Carabao Cup

Newcastle United's next five fixtures

Everton (A) - October 5 - Premier League

Brighton and Hove Albion (H) - October 19 - Premier League

Chelsea (A) - October 27 - Premier League

Chelsea (H) - October 30 - Carabao Cup

Arsenal (H) - November 2 - Premier League

Erik ten Hag has revealed he held talks with Sir Jim Ratcliffe about potential improvements at Manchester United following their embarrassing 3-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur.

Despite extending his contract just months ago for an additional year, Ten Hag's future at Old Trafford has been uncertain since last summer when Man Utd officials were openly looking for a suitable replacement.

United's unsettling performances so far this season have seen them fall to 13th in the Premier League table. And this drop in form has prompted some reports that Ten Hag may even only have two matches left to save his job.

Speaking to Sky Sports off the back of the crushing defeat on Sunday (September 29), which closely mirrored their previous 3-0 defeat to arch-rivals Liverpool, Ten Hag discussed his fresh conversations with Ratcliffe this week.

"We're talking continually, but we are talking about how we can improve the process," he explained, emphasising the sense of urgency shared between the team and its supporters. "We are all very impatient and our fans are and they are entitled to but we are definitely as well."

He also reflected on the impact of the defeats, expressing both the frustration felt and the motivation derived from it. "We want to win every game," he continued. "And when we are losing, everyone is disappointed, frustrated, but it's also our fuel to get better."

Amidst the uncertainty, talk continues to surround Ten Hag's new assistant and United icon Ruud van Nistelrooy, who is reportedly a popular figure within the camp. Some have suggested he could potentially step into a caretaker role if necessary, reports the Mirror.

When questioned about how his team can recover in crucial upcoming matches against Porto and Aston Villa, Ten Hag emphasised: "The most important [issue] to address is one you always need, to keep the belief.

"[To] stay in the game, you need to keep the belief so that's the most important message that we have to give because if you lose your faith you lose everything isn't it? We have to keep going and stick to the plan and move on."

Erik ten Hag claims he is in constant talks with the Manchester United board and is not nervous, despite calls growing for him to be sacked.

Following a damning 3-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday - that included a now-rescinded Bruno Fernandes red card - the Dutchman has been under extreme fire from fans and pundits alike as the club struggle for form this season.

The once-dominant force in English football have just two wins from six matches, drawing away to Crystal Palace and losing to Brighton, arch-rivals Liverpool and, most recently, Spurs.

The United boss spoke to Sky Sports about his mindset following this run of bad form and claims he is not "anxious" if the games against Porto and Aston Villa don't go well this week.

He said: "I'm not thinking about it. I'm not anxious as well, and we are in here together, we made [plans] in the summer, togetherness, the ownership, the leadership, this agreement, and we are all behind it.

"We knew, also, what the strategy was with young players in the transition period and we know then also in which process they can come, this can happen but they also know in the end when we are in May, all my last six seasons, there were trophies and that is why we are also now aiming for."

A draw with FC Twente at Old Trafford in the Europa League dampened fans expectations for United's European desires this season, and the next few games are not favourable for Ten Hag and his squad.

With a tough away fixture to Porto on Thursday, United need to take maximum points from this game in order to appease the fans - and move from 20th in the Europa League table. Should Ten Hag's men not win, they could end up dropping out of the play-off round section of the table, and slip down to the bottom.

In terms of the Premier League, a defeat to Aston Villa away from home could see them slip further down the table towards the relegation zone - with West Ham and Leicester City dealt easier fixtures against Ipswich Town and Bournemouth at the weekend.

Should teams below them grab three points and United drop any more points, they could end up potentially 15th in the Premier League table - a place that could cost Ten Hag his job.

Ten Hag has been under scrutiny before at United, after bad runs of form both domestically and in Europe – but many believe this could be the final straw for new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

Ex-Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick's sage advice on transfers seems more pertinent than ever following Erik ten Hag's recent dealings in the market.

Despite the support of new minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who has provided both a vote of confidence with a contract extension and a hefty transfer kitty of just under £200million, Ten Hag's third season at the helm has begun disastrously.

With a meagre tally of two victories from six matches and suffering twin 3-0 humiliations at the hands of arch-rivals Liverpool and, more recently, Tottenham, the recruitment strategy at Old Trafford appears to be faltering still.

Newcomers such as Joshua Zirkzee, Matthijs de Ligt and Manuel Ugarte, despite being early in their United careers, have not yet made a significant impact.

Rangnick, during his tenure, gave a candid assessment, acknowledging that the club required a thorough overhaul and that any new acquisitions had to be carefully chosen, top-quality, and a perfect fit to bridge the gap with the frontrunners of the league. This cautionary statement, it seems, has gone unheeded, reports the Mirror.

"If you look at those two clubs who are currently dominating the Premier League [Manchester City and Liverpool], they did exactly that [rebuild]," Rangnick pointed out in 2022 following a 4-0 drubbing by Liverpool.

"They brought in two managers, but not only did they bring in two managers, but they also changed the whole thing with regard to formation and what kind of players we need. I mean, the headline of everything was, 'how do we want to play.' The team needs a rebuild, and therefore, for me, it's clear that there will be six, seven, eight, maybe ten new players.

"Before you sign those players, you need to be aware of who you want to play and what kind of football the new manager wants to play. Then, take it from there. Bring every single player fitting into that kind of profile."

Alas, the United board did not heed this advice, and Rangnick's tenure ended with him moving on to the Austrian national team set-up in April. Rangnick was candid about the board's reluctance to pursue certain attacking players, even naming those he believed would have made a difference.

"The answer at the time was: 'No, there is no player on the market that would really help us'," Rangnick revealed in May 2022. "But, there were a few, there were a few.

"[Luis] Diaz, who is now at Liverpool, [Julian] Alvarez who will be at Manchester City this summer, [Dusan] Vlahovic, who at the time still was with Fiorentina, so. Those are just three of them of them that come across my mind now.

"I spoke to the board and said: 'Shouldn't we at least speak and try and analyse if we could get a player either on loan or as a permanent deal?' But in the end, the answer was no."

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Rangnick's remarks have resurfaced on social media after United's disappointing start to the season and the heavy defeat by Spurs, with supporters quick to commend his foresight.

One fan succinctly put it: "This man knew the problem," while another voiced their concern: "Man Utd signings have been horrendous. It's more like a player having a breakout season and Man Utd decides to buy him. I don't think there's any pre analysis over what kinda player is needed."

Another supporter suggested that Rangnick should have been given more time at the helm, commenting: "Should have stuck with this man and got rid of the rot in the players."

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou, has suggested that Bruno Fernandes' dismissal was a result of the pressure his team applied during their impressive 3-0 victory over Manchester United on Sunday.

Spurs showcased their skills at Old Trafford, taking the lead within three minutes thanks to Brennan Johnson. The game took a turn when United's captain, Fernandes, was sent off for a high boot on James Maddison.

Tottenham capitalised on this, with Dejan Kulusevski scoring the second goal after half-time and Dominic Solanke adding a third. Despite Fernandes' insistence that it was 'never a red', claiming it was a foul but not worthy of a dismissal, Postecoglou chose not to engage in the debate about the fairness of the sending off. Instead, he highlighted how it occurred after Spurs had put United under 'enormous' pressure.

"I think it was a consequence of how we were going in the game," he said. "Just putting enormous pressure on them. The amount of chances that we were creating, we weren't letting them get out of their half. It was a strong all-round performance."

The Australian coach conceded that his team could have scored more goals, but he commended his players for their quick start and control of the game after United were reduced to ten men," he added. "I thought it was an outstanding performance. Started the game really well, scored a great goal, should have had two or three and been away. They get a red card and we control the game really well. Just an outstanding effort from the lads."

Fernandes was adamant it wasn't a red, telling the media after the game and firmly disagreed with the decision. "I agree that it is a foul but it is never a [sending off]," he told reporters. "The referee tried to tell me that as he saw it was a clear contact with the studs, no. I didn't touch him with the studs or even the foot, it was my ankle. It is a clear foul."

The outcome puts immense pressure on United's manager Erik ten Hag following consecutive 3-0 defeats at home - the previous loss being against Liverpool in their last Premier League match at this venue.

However, Ten Hag remained resolute during his post-match press conference, asserting that the club's hierarchy, led by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, continues to support him after choosing to retain the Dutchman over the summer.

"No I am not thinking about [being sacked]," Ten Hag said. "We all made this decision to stay together in summer, as ownership group, leadership group. Also we made the decision, after a clear review, what we have to improve as an organisation and how to construct a squad."

"All the decisions were made in togetherness, also knowing it would take some time. We are all there on one page, one boat, the ownership, the leadership group, the staff, players too."