VILLA PARK — The panel of “experts” was arranged in order of rank behind Erik ten Hag, the men on whom his future rests. Joint owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, aide de camp David Brailsford, chief executive Omar Berrada, sporting director Dan Ashworth and technical director Jason Wilcox, all of them rocking the death stare.
It felt like we were here to witness Ten Hag’s last contribution as manager of Manchester United, the summer reprieve failing to deliver a workable solution to the baffling fall of the ailing giant.
If that were the case the United selection suggested Ten Hag had either accepted his fate or cared little for the outcome. Was Aston Villa really a match in which to rotate signature players? Form would be an understandable criterion to bench all those demoted, but rotation on the eve of an international break, including three of the players who won the summer transfer window for United? Then again, this is the sage who withdrew Marcus Rashford after an exhilarating 45 minutes in Porto.
Gary Neville, incredulous at the pairing of Jonny Evans and Harry Maguire at the heart of defence, described the move as throwing the baby out with the bath water, which might stretch the meaning of getting rid of something valuable as well as unwanted, and an insult to the footballing IQ of Evans, who was outstanding, but you understood the point.
Ten Hag was remarkably sanguine in his pre-match media briefings, smiling as he delivered his justifications. Meanwhile out in the middle, the position of Ruud van Nistlerooy assumed a different dimension as he oversaw preparations. Brought in during the summer revamp, Van Nistlerooy is widely assumed to be caretaker-elect should Ten Hag perish in the international break.
There may or may not be profit in this. What is undeniable is the value Van Nistlerooy would add were he available for selection in the team rather than picking it. Goodness knows this team could do with the fecundity that was once his.
Villa were without Jacob Ramsey, Boubacar Kamara and record signing Amadou Onana, which perhaps emboldened Ten Hag to go with a midfield two of Kobbie Mainoo and Christian Eriksen, neither of whom have a defensive bone in their bodies. But then if Matty Cash is going to serve the ball to Rashford as he did in the fifth minute, perhaps there would be nothing to worry about. Rashford cut inside to bruise the fingers of Emiliano Martinez but nothing more. Lucky Villa.
In fact what we witnessed from this wild selection was arguably Ten Hag’s best opening 45 minutes since the FA Cup final, albeit rising above a woefully low bar. There was evidence of structure, organisation and purpose, the very elements United have mystifyingly lacked for the majority of Ten Hag’s reign.
And in the second half when Villa began to channel the energy that saw them past Bayern Munich on Wednesday night, Ten Hag was decisive in hooking Rashford and the ineffective Rasmus Hojlund. Their replacements Joshua Zirkzee and Antony would hardly have inspired fear, but in the context of a subdued home performance, it seemed like a plan playing out.
For it to reward Ten Hag’s thinking Zirkzee would have to approximate to the player identified in the summer by the leaders judging him anew. Instead Zirkzee looks like a charity case ticking one off his bucket list by getting minutes for his favourite team.
United withstood the late Villa push for a deserved draw. Ten Hag shook hands with opposite number Unai Emery before high-fiving his own staff. Was it sufficient to prolong his stay? Had anything changed significantly?
The next few days will tell us, with an executive board meeting attended by majority owner Joel Glazer scheduled for Tuesday.
