Gary Neville has already made Erik ten Hag prediction after Man United's 'worst decision'

Gary Neville has suggested that Manchester United will evaluate Erik ten Hag's position during the international break, despite avoiding a poor performance at Aston Villa which could have prompted co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe to act. United had conceded three goals in each of their last two matches, but managed to hold Villa to a goalless draw on Sunday.

The match saw few significant opportunities, with Bruno Fernandes coming closest when his free-kick hit the bar. Prior to the game, Ratcliffe refrained from fully endorsing the manager, even though Ten Hag had secured a contract extension over the summer.

Jamie Carragher criticised the decision to retain the former Ajax boss, labelling it as one of the 'worst decisions' made by the United hierarchy. However, Neville hinted that the owners might continue to support the manager in the hope they can weather their current difficulties, reports the Mirror.

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"I think we all know that obviously clubs do reassess during international breaks, and I think what's happened in the last week," Neville told Sky Sports before the Villa game. "Anyone who was in Old Trafford last week [for the defeat against Tottenham], I don't think you even need to be in the stadium to recognise that it felt like a monumental day.

When questioned about Ratcliffe's comments made earlier in the week, he responded: "It didn't surprise me. I think if you went to [Liverpool owners] FSG and John Henry was doing an interview over in America and said who would be sacking the [Liverpool] manager, I think he'd say I'd leave it to my football department on the ground.

"It will be Dan Ashworth, it will be Omar Berrada, supported by Jason Wilcox. They'll make the decision or recommendation [on Ten Hag], and then it will be Joel Glazer, Jim Ratcliffe and Dave Brailsford who are on that sporting committee at the top of the club who will validate it."

"But one thing's for certain, when you speak to people around the club, they don't want to make that decision," Neville added. "They want to try and be different and get through this difficult time.

"It is their first time in this situation, and they've got a lot of evidence over the last 10 years of how to do it and how not to do it, and I suppose at this moment in time they'll want to try and make their own decision based upon what they're thinking. "

United's return of eight points from seven games is their lowest at this stage of any Premier League season. The draw at Villa Park means they go into the international break sitting in the bottom half of the table, and Ten Hag was asked by Sky Sports about his conversations with the club's higher-ups. "We always speak, every week we speak," he commented. "We are all on board together, on one page, we know what we are working through it's a long-term process.

"We have come through two very tough away games. This is a team, we showed the belief and faith we have."