OLD Trafford has seen its team humiliated several times in recent years. Manchester United’s dismantling at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur wasn’t exactly a new experience for a club that has staggered and stalled countless times in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson age, but Sunday’s defeat was particularly damning of the current regime.

There was no booing as United trudged off following a dominant Spurs performance. There was no fan backlash when referee Chris Kavanagh made the dubious decision to send off Bruno Fernandes. Instead, Old Trafford simply emptied as the clock ticked closer to 90 minutes. Many Manchester United supporters are clearly beyond caring.

The clock is now ticking on Erik ten Hag’s tenure as United manager. Sunday’s loss felt like the beginning of the end for the Dutchman at Old Trafford with his team currently a long way from the level expected of them. Manchester United have suffered heavier defeats under ten Hag, but the 3-0 loss to Tottenham could prove to be the most damaging.

None of ten Hag’s favourite excuses can explain the dismal start his team have made to the season. Last season, he could point to the number of injuries suffered by Manchester United. Now, though, Luke Shaw is the only first team figure sidelined through injury. Leny Yoro is also unavailable, but the young French defender only joined United in the summer.

Ten Hag has spoken about the long-term project of reshaping Manchester United’s squad, hinting at the mess that was handed to him when appointed manager in the summer of 2022. Now, though, United’s team has ten Hag’s fingerprints all over it. Indeed, only three members of the lineup that started against Spurs predated ten Hag as first team players.

Sunday’s defeat was so damaging because it held a mirror up to Manchester United as a team. While defeats to the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City could be tolerated due to the superior level of talent possessed by these rivals, United’s team is comparable to Tottenham’s in terms of individual quality. United might even have better players.

Yet in Ange Postecoglou Spurs have a manager who has imposed a clear style of play on their team. Tottenham press high and move the ball quickly into open space. They have a set of principles that help them play a certain way. Ten Hag’s Manchester United have no principles and they have no style of play. There has been no progress no matter how many times ten Hag points to the two trophies he has won as United boss.

Manchester United can’t stop making the same mistakes over and over again. They are too easy to play through, as was brutally highlighted by Micky van de Ven’s run from front to back for Tottenham’s opening goal on Sunday. There is no pressing cohesion while United’s possession play also leaves a lot to be desired.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the new leadership at Old Trafford that includes Dan Ashworth now face their first crossroads. Ten Hag was afforded more time to get things right even after Manchester United’s historically bad eighth place finish last season, but he has only succeeded in highlighting his own failings.

If INEOS have genuine ambitions of pushing Manchester United back to the top of English soccer, they take a hardline on ten Hag’s future before things get any worse. The Old Trafford outfit are losing ground on their rivals. Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham are all making strides forward while United stand still. Ten Hag isn’t United’s only problem, but he’s the problem that would be the easiest to solve.