Unbelievable Erik ten Hag stat proves Man Utd boss shouldn't be sacked

Erik ten Hag achieved an impressive milestone against Fulham which may surprise Manchester United supporters.

The Red Devils recorded a crucial victory at Craven Cottage on Saturday, relieving some of the pressure on the United boss.

Back-to-back 3-0 defeats to local rivals Manchester City in the Premier League, and then Newcastle in the Carabao Cup had cast serious doubt over the Dutchman's future at Old Trafford.

Meanwhile, former Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane and Sporting Lisbon manager Ruben Amorim have reportedly been lined up as potential replacements.

But fortunately for Ten Hag, captain Bruno Fernandes' stoppage time strike ensured all three points in west London.

And the win was particularly important for the the manager, who recorded his 50th win in the hot seat, making him the joint-fastest United boss to reach that milestone alongside Jose Mourinho.

Ten Hag reached the landmark after just 78 games, suggesting he has had a far better start to life in charge than many people have given him credit for.

There is no question that United have suffered a major dip in form this season, winning just one out of their opening two Champions League group stage games. While it has been their worst start to a campaign in the last 61 years.

However, 50 wins after 78 games is nothing to be sniffed at, and could help ease the pressure on Ten Hag's job.

Speaking after the win over Fulham, the former Ajax boss told reporters: "With all respect, did you see last season?

"Everyone knows why [we can’t play a style], we have so many injuries. You have to be more pragmatic, but I’ve always said that is never an excuse not to win games.”

SPORTbible are on WhatsApp! We've launched a dedicated news channel to send you the latest news, features and plenty more directly on WhatsApp and all you need to do to sign up is click through to our one-way broadcast channel here for 'SPORTbible News' to appear in the 'Updates' tab on your WhatsApp.