Erik ten Hag 'not anxious' about Manchester United future despite troubled start to season

Dutch coach wants team to bounce back from Spurs drubbing when they face Porto in Europa League on Thursday

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag during training head of their Europa League clash with Porto. PA

Erik ten Hag insists he is “not anxious” about his Manchester United future despite the negative fallout from his team's humiliating home defeat by Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend.

The dismal result and performance at Old Trafford have piled the pressure on Ten Hag with his team sitting 13th in the Premier League after losing three of their opening six games.

United's seven points are the club's joint-fewest after six games of a Premier League season while only in the 2007-08 season have they scored fewer than the five goals managed so far.

United take on Porto in the Europa League at Estadio do Dragao on Thursday having been held to a disappointing draw by FC Twente in their tournament opener.

After that match at Old Trafford, Ten Hag criticised his team's “complacency” in not killing off the game. “You saw it was the game of their life, they fought for every yard and we didn’t,” he added.

But worse was to follow four days later as United were humbled by Spurs on home turf which also saw captain Bruno Fernandes sent-off for a high tackle on James Maddison – a decision has since been successfully overturned on appeal.

But United were struggling even before the 42nd minute red card and could have no complaints about the criticism that has come their way as a result.

Despite the performances, Ten Hag says there will be no panic at the club and that he is not concerned that his job m8ight be under threat.

“I am not thinking about it. I am not anxious,” the Dutchman, who signed a contract extension over the summer, told Sky Sports.

“We are going to make a success from the season. Nothing is easy but there is nothing for me to panic about. We can sort out, this team can sort this out.

“It is a bad performance [against Tottenham]. I have to address the problems to give the solutions to the team. The most important [thing] is keep the belief. That is the most important message because if you lose your faith, you lose everything.

“Even after all the setbacks [against Spurs] we kept going. This is a team, they want to fight for each other. When we lose, everyone is disappointed and frustrated but it is also our fuel.”

Former United defender Gary Neville did not hold back from his criticism after the Spurs loss calling the display “disgusting” and “disgraceful”, labelling it “one of the worst performances I have seen under Ten Hag – and that is saying something”.

Neville's fellow Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp added: “I just don't see how he can keep his job. He looks completely lost and I don't know how he can turn it around.”

Last month, United chief executive Omar Berrada said the manager had the club's full backing and, despite all of the outside noise, Ten Hag believes that they will stick to a plan that was formulated during talks over the summer.

“We created a togetherness in the summer with the ownership and the leadership,” he said. “We made this agreement, and we were all behind it. We know the strategy [is to bring in] young players in a transition period.

“They also know in May in all my last six seasons there were always trophies and that is what we are aiming for.”

On the pitch, the games coming thick and fast – with United facing a tricky trip to Aston Villa three days after facing Porto – meaning Ten Hag will need his team to bounce back quickly.

“You have to deal with criticism and don't make a big deal of it,” he added. “Focus on managing the team, get the best of the team and don't focus on negative opinions of you as a person. That doesn't help the process.

“We created a togetherness in the summer with the ownership and the leadership. We made this agreement and we were all behind it. We are there together and we have to fight together to get out of this.”