Manchester United square up against Brentford at Old Trafford following the international break and are looking to turn around their dismal season with Erik ten Hag still uneasy in the hotseat.
Although only two points and three places separate Manchester United and Brentford, there is a wide chasm between the security of Erik ten Hag and Thomas Frank’s positions. United’s forlorn start to the season sees them squatting a dismal 14th in the Premier League table, winless in their five games in all competitions.
This has surely served to bring intense scrutiny on Ten Hag’s compromising position during the international break, despite it appearing like he’s received a reprieve after winning the FA Cup over Manchester City last season. Now the Dutchman is again in his familiar position under the spotlight, more so this weekend.
Frank meanwhile continues to go his merry way building his reputation, after the Dane first joined the Bees as an assistant to Dean Smith before graduating to head coach. During that time Frank helped the west London side earn promotion and has since further reinforced the team’s place in the Premier League, while others have struggled to do so during the same period. Obviously the understated 51-year-old’s achievements have not gone unnoticed.
Key figures at Old Trafford are said to have their attention trained on his talents and achievements. There’re even whispers that United chiefs are said to have engaged in talks with Frank’s representatives before the FA Cup final win over bitter rivals Manchester City, which may have spared Ten Hag from the sack.
Those talks happened not too long after Frank was asked whether he could achieve his ambitions with Brentford, to which he replied: “I can’t see why not. I think ambition is many things.
“I never know what’s going to happen in the future. Maybe I’m staying here for the rest of my time in football. Am I going to another club? Maybe that’s also a good opportunity. But you never know.
“What I know is that I’m very happy here. Ambition is ‘how can I make the perfect club? How can we try to maybe win something?’ How can you beat the odds and maybe one year qualify for Europe? You never know, I don’t want to set any aims.”
Saturday’s meeting will provide another opportunity for the likes of Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Omar Berrada and Dan Ashworth to compare and contrast what they currently have at their disposal versus what could have been. Invariably, defeat will again bring Ten Hag’s position under the harsh glare of the spotlight once again.
Speaking ahead of the game, Frank suggested the intensity of criticism his United counterpart has faced is too much. The Brentford boss even launched a defence of his adversary’s record.
“It’s incredible how much scrutiny he’s had to face,” Frank said. “As a head coach, I acknowledge how it feels to be in a situation like this. I think the criticism is too much.
“He’s clearly a good coach, he’s won two trophies in two seasons. But I understand how it is: if the team wins, the head coach is absolutely fantastic; if the team loses, the head coach is absolutely s**t! Whereas it’s probably somewhere in between.
“It’s never only the head coach, or the players, or the fans, or the board, it’s a combination of all of these things.”
Since completing his investment in United earlier this year, Ratcliffe has looked to transform the club and the way it operates. Players and staff have already come and gone and while results do not meet expectations, Ten Hag will continue to be judged intensely.