Welcome to Hell - If Erik ten Hag isn't there yet, he'd certainly felt the heat

Welcome to Hell. Three words synonymous with meetings between Manchester United and Galatasaray since these clubs first crossed swords 30 years ago. Just not at Old Trafford.

Yet when Erik ten Hag walks towards the home dugout before United’s Champions League game against the Turkish side on Tuesday night, he could be forgiven for feeling a deep sense of unease.

The crescendo of boos after Crystal Palace inflicted United’s latest defeat will still be ringing in his ears. The fans will be behind him again but they are getting restless.

Ten Hag now has two home games before the international break — against Galatasaray and then Brentford on Saturday — to get his team back on track, in what is becoming a perilously turbulent season, and prevent the crisis spiralling out of control.

United have made their worst start since Sir Alex Ferguson was fighting to save his job 34 years ago. Four defeats in the opening seven Premier League games has put Ten Hag under pressure.

Throw in the Champions League loss to Bayern Munich when United opened their Group A campaign in Germany and the picture does not get any prettier.

It is not a scenario Ten Hag or anyone else at the club envisaged when they spent £180million in the summer to build on his solid first season in England. Stranger still that Old Trafford is no longer the stronghold it was when he secured a third-place finish and won the Carabao Cup.

United suffered just two defeats at home in all competitions under Ten Hag last season. This term, the Dutchman has matched that before the end of September.

His team were lucky to beat Wolves in their opening league game and were two down inside four minutes against Nottingham Forest before coming back to win. It could have been worse. Now