Erik ten Hag has given himself four games to show Ineos he is right for Manchester United

Erik ten Hag must be able to hear the clock ticking now. A 14th defeat before 2023 turned to 2024 has left him running out of road at Old Trafford at an alarming rate.

The Dutchman remains in post and there is no imminent chance of him being sacked, but this season is rapidly turning into the worst of the post-Sir Alex Ferguson years. A defeat to League One Wigan Athletic on Monday would surely accelerate the process of change in the dugout.

Ten Hag would probably like to strengthen his squad but he’s not made any public pleas for new recruits. A combination of factors make that unlikely, including Ten Hag’s patchy record in the transfer market given the fact he’s already spent more than £400million on this squad and United’s desperate struggles to fit within FFP calculations. Not to mention the wait for Premier League sign-off on INEOS’ investment into the club.

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Instead, Ten Hag believes the easing of an injury crisis will provide the kind of boost a transfer or two normally offers. There’s no doubt United’s injuries have been problematic this season and he has begun to mention that more often, sensing the pressure beginning to rise on his own position and the patience of supporters starting to wear thin.

United have lost half of their 28 games this season and are nine points off the top four in the Premier League. Brighton, Newcastle, Chelsea and Wolves are all within three points of them.

Something has to change for Ten Hag to survive much longer and he is hoping it will be the return of key players this month, with Lisandro Martinez, Harry Maguire, Tyrell Malacia,