Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is on thin ice.
After guiding the Red Devils to a third-place finish in 2022-23, the Dutch manager appears to have lost the plot in 2023-24 and there are genuine concerns that he could be handed his departure papers if his side do not win their next two games. games before the November international break.
The first of two matches will be played on Wednesday afternoon against FC Copenhagen.
United are -120 road favorites in the main competition in the Champions League group stage.
Manchester United vs. FC Copenhagen
(3 p.m. ET.)
The fact that Manchester United are in dire straits in the Champions League is a good indicator of how this season has gone for the Red Devils.
Drawn in a group with Bayern Munich, Galatasaray and Copenhagen, United should have had a clear path to the knockout stages.
Instead, United have struggled in every game and desperately need three points against Copenhagen to put themselves in a respectable position for the Round of 16.
That should sound like an easy task for Manchester United, but that’s not how things have gone for the club so far.
Not only did United escape their match against Denmark with a win only because of Andre Onana’s heroics in goal, but they also had a problem with other Premier League runners.
United have won four of their last six games in all competitions, but those four victories have come against Brentford, Sheffield United, Copenhagen and Fulham, and none of them have been convincing.
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The Red Devils needed two stoppage-time goals to beat Brentford, were beaten by goals from Copenhagen, Sheffield United and Fulham and won by exactly one goal in each of those victories.
You could argue that no team in the Premier League has had more breaks than United in the last six weeks, but they still don’t look satisfied at all.
United’s struggles and inconsistent performances – particularly in defense – make them vulnerable favorites and have the advantage of backing Copenhagen to pull off an upset and send the Red Devils into further turmoil.
Bet: FC Copenhagen +320 (Caesars Sportsbook)
