Manchester United hold Aston Villa to leave Ten Hag’s future up in the air

Quite what this draw does for Erik ten Hag is unknown but it may just spare him the indignity of what would have happened had Manchester United slumped to defeat at Aston Villa. Maybe. Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Sir Dave Brailsford, Omar Berrada, Dan Ashworth and Jason Wilcox, United’s top brass, had the best seats in the house and will surely review Ten Hag’s position over the international break. Bruno Fernandes rattled the crossbar with a fine free-kick and United’s performance was hardly disgraceful. And yet, their last win was against Barnsley and it is now five games without a win.

From training at Boavista the morning after Harry Maguire’s stoppage-time intervention against Porto to a grey Sunday afternoon in Birmingham. Kobbie Mainoo was among those involved in Friday’s session exclusively designed for players, Alejandro Garnacho aside, who did not begin the draw and Mainoo returned to the starting lineup here as one of four changes. Ten Hag’s boldest calls, however, came in defence with Jonny Evans, 37 in January, and Maguire, 31, parachuted into the heart of the United backline in place of Matthijs de Ligt and Lisandro Martínez. Ten Hag’s team selection prompted Gary Neville to joke he thought he and his brother, Phil, may be playing at full-back. At least it seemed he was joking. Maguire only made it until half-time after picking up an apparent muscle injury deep into stoppage time that left him with a giant hole in his sock and required him to be helped off the pitch by two members of United’s medical staff.

Victor Lindelöf entered in place of Noussair Mazraoui and Martínez for Maguire. At first glance the United team sheet felt like a strange act of self-sabotage by Ten Hag. Villa are dynamic in attack and break with speed and gusto. Morgan Rogers is dangerous on the half-turn and when Christian Eriksen was booked after clipping Rogers inside two and half minutes it set an ominous tone for what was to come. A few minutes later Rogers manoeuvred into a hole behind Mainoo and Eriksen and cannoned an effort wide that smacked the hoardings and rippled the rear of André Onana’s net. Some of those Villa fans down the opposite end thought it was in.

Ross Barkley battles for the ball with Jonny Evans at Villa Park. Photograph: Mike Egerton/PA

Evans, an emergency signing last year, was never supposed to still be here, heading crosses away at the core of this spluttering United machine, but, to his credit, he was arguably United’s best player. “Jonny Evans is a red,” crooned the away support as he made a timely tackle on Rogers before halting Ross Barkley moments later. It was Evans who sniffed out the danger when Rogers, again profiting from space behind United’s defence and midfield, freed Ollie Watkins. Onana later saved well from Youri Tielemans, unmarked on the edge of the D, after United switched off at a corner.

Marcus Rashford had the game’s first effort, snatching the ball from Matty Cash on halfway before driving down the left. Rashford stepped inside Barkley and lashed a shot goalwards, triggering a smart save from Emiliano Martínez. The Villa goalkeeper made a similar stop a few minutes after the break, after Mainoo played in Rashford down the left channel. Midway through the second half Martínez was beaten by Fernandes, available after his red card against Tottenham was rescinded, but Fernandes’s free-kick clattered against the crossbar. Antony, who until arriving from the bench had played a single league minute, sent a first-time effort wide from the rebound.

Ten Hag rocked back in his chair. Unai Emery did similar when Diogo Dalot denied Jaden Philogene, Ian Maatsen’s cross dribbling to him at the back post. As the game ticked into stoppage time, there was a delay owing to the referee Rob Jones’s headset technology seemingly conking out. It remains to be seen how much battery life is left in Ten Hag’s role at United.