Manchester United’s European hopes ended in a dismal fashion after they lost 1-0 to Bayern Munich in their final group match at Old Trafford on Tuesday.
The Red Devils needed maximum points to have any chance of progressing to the Champions League knockout phase.
But they registered only one shot on target and slumped to another disappointing defeat with Kingsley Coman scoring the decisive goal.
It is humiliating for United to finish at the bottom of a group featuring Copenhagen and Galatasaray. They have even missed out on dropping into the Europa League.
Manager Erik ten Hag has been under huge scrutiny recently and the Bayern defeat will further increase the pressure on him.
They are now out of the Champions League and the League Cup, while there is a six points difference between them and fourth-placed Manchester City in the Premier League table.
Ten Hag is a top manager who deserves credit for United’s achievements last season. But he is unlikely to last long at Old Trafford if performances continue like this.
With a big game against Liverpool coming on Sunday, there are fears the 53-year-old may not survive in his job if they pick up their third consecutive loss at Anfield.
Jose Mourinho was sacked as United boss just days after the 3-1 defeat to Jurgen Klopp’s side.
Ten Hag now faces a similar fate unless he manages to come away with a positive result from Anfield, where they suffered a 7-0 mauling the last time they met in March.
Liverpool have won all 11 home matches this season, and the Red Devils have yet to taste success at Anfield since their 1-0 win under Louis van Gaal in 2016.
Given their current form and injury issues, Man Utd are very unlikely to pull off a victory in their next Premier League clash.
However, Ten Hag is still expected to retain his job even if they lose in Merseyside.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s £1.3 billion investment in the club is yet to be finalised and Ten Hag should be safe, at least until the deal is finalised.
Ratcliffe will likely give Ten Hag some time to turn things around, although his patience may wear thin if things continue in the same vein.
