I saw what Erik ten Hag did near the tunnel - it said a lot about his position at Manchester United

Erik ten Hag did no favours for his case to stay as Manchester United manager in Saturday’s 1-1 draw with relegation-threatened Burnley.

United failed to show consistent attacking vigour in the match, ending it with 43% possession and fewer completed passes. One positive saw Antony fire in his first Premier League goal for 12 months on 79 minutes.

Andre Onana had a good game overall but his clumsiness allowed VAR to award Burnley a spot kick, which Zeki Amdouni duly converted three minutes from time. United fans booed at full-time with Ten Hag facing an uncertain future. Here are three more things that happened during the match.

READ MORE: United 1-1 Burnley reaction LIVE

READ MORE: Erik ten Hag explains why Antony started vs Burnley

Ten Hag has made a point of producing sustained applause to match-goers when he emerges from the tunnel in recent games, more than he did previously, and did so again against Burnley. It seems he realises the context of his situation.

It’s an indication that the Dutchman knows this season has been nowhere near good enough and is trying to get the Old Trafford crowd on side ahead of a decision on his future in the next few weeks. The boos that rang out when he took off Rasmus Hojlund and Kobbie Mainoo suggest he’s losing the battle with a number of fans.

The manager also seemed to mirror a tactic first seen in his competitive debut, all the way back in the 2022/23 opening day loss to Brighton. Hojlund led the line on Saturday but Christian Eriksen was often the most advanced player when Andre Onana had the ball.

The Dane had played as the striker, a false nine, in Ten Hag’s first ever United game and it failed miserably. He didn’t get much luck this weekend, either.

Fans were chanting the