With Erik ten Hag on the brink at Manchester United, he’s now facing a perfect storm at Old Trafford on Saturday.
The Dutchman is on a five-game winless run and is at the top of the betting odds as the next Premier League manager to lose his job.
Ten Hag is at risk and things could get worse this weekendGetty
Having survived the international break after a 0-0 draw against Aston Villa, Ten Hag might have wanted a restart, but instead things could get even worse.
United will likely be without five defenders at the weekend, with Noussair Mazraoui joining those sidelined having required heart treatment for palpitations.
That means he joins Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia and Leny Yoro as absentees, with Harry Maguire also expected to be unavailable for selection.
Ten Hag will have just five defenders to pick from, and none of those are left backs, meaning Diogo Dalot may have to fill in on the left again.
However, that would mean the Portuguese would be vacating his role as the only available right back, further complicating matters.
Ten Hag may well be forced to leave Dalot in his natural position and move Lisandro Martinez to left-back, or even Jonny Evans.
Evans was man of the match last time out against Villa, and even at the age of 36, shifting him to the side may be preferable over taking Martinez out of central defence.
Other options could be a back three, or the selection of Victor Lindelof, but Ten Hag has proved resistant to either tactic.
Further ahead things are also complicated. Two of the first names on the teamsheet, Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo, both had to withdraw from international duty and are doubts for the match. The often criticised Casemiro may have to come back in, and Amad Diallo is likely to get another start.
If all of this doesn’t sound difficult enough, we haven’t even mentioned the opposition yet.
Manchester United could look very different against Brentford
Brentford will travel to Manchester on a high after yet another ridiculously early goal against Wolves last time out, their fourth in the first two minutes of a match in their past four Premier League games.
Nathan Collins was the scorer on this occasion as the Bees took a barnstorming 5-3 win over Wolves and showed again how good they are at catching teams out early.
That will be a particular worry for United’s unsettled defence, and the combination of another game without a win and Brentford’s rapid starts could well spell very big trouble indeed for Ten Hag.
The Old Trafford crowd could quickly turn on the Dutchman, as Man United fans quickly lose their patience.
However, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos may struggle to find an immediate replacement should he be shown the door.
Two of their top targets, Thomas Tuchel and Gareth Southgate, are out of the running.
Tuchel has just taken the England job, while Southgate has ruled himself out.
Man United’s injuries
Leny Yoro – ankle
Luke Shaw – calf
Tyrell Malacia – knee
Mason Mount – head
Harry Maguire – calf
Alejandro Garnacho – knee
Kobbie Mainoo – thigh
Noussair Mazraoui – heart procedure
It could well be an audition for Brentford boss Frank, who has admirers among the United hierarchy.
The other option could be installing Ruud van Nistelrooy as an interim until the end of the season.
There has even been accusations that he is waiting for Ten Hag to fail in order to replace him.
During their recent 0-0 draw at Villa Park, Ten Hag became embroiled in what appeared to be a heated debate with his assistant Van Nistelrooy, who has been touted as a candidate to replace the United boss, in the event of a dismissal.
Van Nistelrooy was seen having a tense conversation with Ten Hag during United’s game against Aston VillaPA
Casting an expert eye over the situation, Van Der Kraan has quashed theories claiming the former Manchester United striker is planning to double-cross Ten Hag in hope of landing the top job at Old Trafford.
“When he [Van Nistelrooy] signed in the summer he was very motivated to go and work for his old club,” Van der Kraan told talkSPORT.
“Mainly for the love of the club and because he saw the potential of a number of young players such as [Rasmus] Hojlund and [Marcus] Rashford.
“He knows the culture of the club and I think he felt he could add something that Ten Hag could use.
“Erik was much more a manager [suited] for the Bundesliga with RB Leipzig who made him several offers before United finally got him.
“Erik worked at Bayern Munich. He knew the German Bundesliga, he speaks the language and all of that wasn’t really there in England for him. He’d never played there but Ruud can add that.”
All eyes are on Man United’s upcoming game with Brentford before facing Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce in the Europa League.