The Manchester United metric that could save Erik ten Hag and rivals Man City, Arsenal and Liverpool

Erik ten Hag has started to look like a manager fighting for his future in recent weeks. He was stung by the criticism aimed in his direction after Manchester United's stark collapse against Coventry City and has come out swinging, but the list of excuses has been growing as well.

Nobody can dispute that an injury record that almost defies belief this season has forced Ten Hag to work with one hand tied behind his back. It is his complaints about marginal refereeing calls and misfortune that aren't stacking up quite as well.

But while the pressure is clearly growing on the Dutchman, there are positives he can point to beyond reaching the FA Cup final and tenuous claims about what a "huge achievement" that is, when the achievement for a club like Manchester United is in winning the final, not just measuring up for the Wembley suits.

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There are areas Ten Hag has to improve on if he is to get a third season in charge at Old Trafford. United's midfield has been chaotically open all season and the demands of playing a low block and continuing to try and press high has left acres of space for the opposition to enjoy.

He also needs to stop his team from throwing away leads and collapsing in games, but the last four months have also brought about an improvement in front of goal. United have now scored in 20 successive matches in all competitions and that is the best run of the Ten Hag era.

Only once has that streak been bettered, when they scored in 22 successive games between November 10, 2022 and March 1, 2023. Crucially, only one of those ended in defeat and