What's Gone Wrong For Erik Ten Hag At Manchester United?

Manchester United are in desperate need of a win at FC Copenhagen in the Champions League on Wednesday as they battle to avoid an embarrassing group-stage exit. The three-time European champions sneaked past the Danish side 1-0 at Old Trafford last month thanks to a last-gasp penalty save from goalkeeper Andre Onana. Heavy defeats by Manchester City and Newcastle have since ramped up the pressure on manager Erik ten Hag, which was only eased slightly by a 1-0 win at Fulham on Saturday.

United are third in Group A, six points behind leaders Bayern Munich and one adrift of Galatasaray.

If they fail to win in Copenhagen, Galatasaray could be in a position knock United out when the sides meet in Istanbul on November 29.

AFP Sport looks at what has gone wrong for Ten Hag in his second season at Old Trafford.

RecruitmentUnited fans have frequently voiced intense frustration at the running of the club by the Glazer family, but Ten Hag has still enjoyed a huge transfer budget.

More than £400 million ($497 million) has been spent in the past three transfer windows, with few obvious successes.

Former Ajax winger Antony, bought last year for £86 million, has rarely lived up to his huge price tag, scoring just eight goals in 55 appearances.

Mason Mount, like Antony, has regularly found himself on the bench in recent weeks just months after a £55 million move from Chelsea, and has yet to score for his new club.

Onana's penalty save against Copenhagen was atonement for costly errors against Bayern and Galatasaray as United lost their opening two group games of a Champions League campaign for the first time.

One of the criticisms aimed at Ten Hag is that he has been too reliant on the Dutch market, which he knows well.

Eight of his