Erik ten Hag has been named the Premier League Manager of the Month for November. That’s right. The Manchester United boss may have started the season on the wrong foot, but his team managed to string good results together in the league recently.
November saw the Dutchman lead the Red Devils to three victories, which helped him to avoid the firing. United’s wins came against Fulham (1-0), Luton Town (1-0), and Everton (3-0).
The club took home all three awards of the month, with Harry Maguire being named best player of November and Alejandro Garnacho getting the best goal prize for his brilliant bicycle kick against Everton.
Erik ten Hag is still under the microscope
While the recognition may be fair if we look at United’s perfect league record in November, the truth is ten Hag’s job is far from safe. In his second season in Manchester, the 53-year-old still has a lot to prove.
United had a poor start to the campaign, conceding a painful loss to crosstown rivals Manchester City as well as suffering an early EFL Cup exit at the hands of Newcastle.
Right now, they find themselves sixth in the Premier League standings with 27 points, nine shy of leaders Arsenal. However, their weak start to the UEFA Champions League is what may put ten Hag on the hot seat.
United’s Champions League hopes on the line
The Red Devils are heading into the final matchday bottom of Group A with just four points (W1 D1 L3), and they need to beat Bayern Munich at home in order to keep their round of 16 hopes alive. But if Galatasaray or Copenhagen win, their result against the Bavarians wouldn’t matter anymore.
So as nice as the Manager of the Month award may be, the truth is that Erik ten Hag’s future continues to raise many questions at Old Trafford.