David Ornstein reveals what he's heard about Erik ten Hag amid Man Utd sack speculation

David Ornstein has set the record straight on Erik ten Hag amid speculation over the Dutchman's long-term future at Manchester United.

Ten Hag finds himself under huge pressure early on in the season after a disappointing start to the campaign.

United are currently 10^th in the Premier League going into Saturday's match against Brentford and have already lost six games in all competitions, after suffering a shock 3-2 defeat at home to Galatasaray on Tuesday.

Reports claim there is a 'toxic' atmosphere in the Old Trafford dressing room, with Ten Hag struggling to deal with several unwanted distractions.

Jadon Sancho is currently banished from the first-team after falling out with his manager, while several other players are reported to be unhappy with their roles under the Dutchman.

The loss of form of last season's top scorer, Marcus Rashford, is another cause for concern, while the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the sale of the club has only added to the negative atmosphere at Old Trafford.

United's poor start has led the speculation on social media that Ten Hag could be sacked if results fail to improve in the coming weeks.

However, respected journalist David Ornstein claims that Ten Hag's position is not under immediate threat and he retains the full backing of the club's owners.

Responding to a question during a Q&A for The Athletic, Ornstein said: "As far as I know, Manchester United remain fully behind Ten Hag and - in my opinion - rightly so.

"He might not be perfect (who is?) and I'm sure he would admit he has not done everything right (who does?). However, the Dutchman oversaw clear progress and success last season, admittedly at significant expense.

"That shifted expectations and more spending further upped the ante. Yet some of the circumstances he has had / is having to deal with on and off the pitch are legitimate mitigating factors.

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"In my view, United (like Chelsea) can't keep chopping and changing managers and hope to advance in a sustainable way. Talking of which, it would be very costly to get rid of Ten Hag at a time when it sounds like United aren’t in the best FFP position.

"Admittedly it only takes a glance at what happened to [Jose] Mourinho and [Ole Gunnar] Solskjaer to know how quickly things can unravel, especially at Old Trafford, and don’t forget they were sacked not long after signing new contracts, which indicated United did have 'long-term' faith in them at the time.

"To answer your questions specifically, I think and hope Ten Hag will get a lot more time and support. And it’s not only him we should be scrutinising but the ownership, the wider football set-up and the players as well.

"Ultimately it's a results business and we know what happens if they don't come over a prolonged period. United will desperately hope to get back on track against a buoyant Brentford on Saturday and then reset over the international break."

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