Man Utd 'planned to leak information' as Erik ten Hag starts to lose backing ahead of Newcastle clash

United went into the season with high hopes after finishing third in the Premier League table last term.

They also won the Carabao Cup, beating Wednesday night's opponents Newcastle in the final at Wembley back in February.

Fast-forward to now, however, and United's season is starting to fall apart at an alarming rate.

They have lost five of their opening 10 Premier League fixtures to sit eighth in the table.

And they've been poor in the Champions League, too, winning just one of their first three matches in the competition.

Simply put, Ten Hag must steer his side to victory over Newcastle to try and lift the doom and gloom mood around the place.

But the Daily Mail say some players are starting to dwindle in their support of the manager.

It's claimed certain individuals feel Ten Hag's strict approach is starting to impact dressing room morale.

The Dutchman is a no-nonsense manager and has come down hard on the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Harry Maguire and Sancho at various stages of his Old Trafford reign.

But there's a feeling his tough manner is starting to increase the negativity around the club.

The report also provides an update on the Sancho situation.

The England international has been exiled from the first-team after his row with Ten Hag back in September.

Speaking after a 3-1 defeat to Arsenal, Ten Hag accused Sancho of being poor in training.

The winger refused to take the criticism on the chin, however, and hit back by saying: "Please don't believe everything you read! I will not allow people saying things that is completely untrue.

"I have conducted myself in training very well this week. I believe there are other reasons for this matter that I won't go into.

"I have been a scapegoat for a long time which isn't fair! All I want to do is play football with a smile on my face and contribute to my team.

"I respect all decisions that are made by the coaching staff, I play with fantastic players... I will continue to fight for this badge no matter what."

Sancho can only return to the first team if he apologises to Ten Hag.

And the report says United would have made any 'private' apology public in order to show support for their manager.

There's still no end to Sancho's time in the wilderness, though.

Barring a miracle and a last-minute U-turn he looks set to leave United when the transfer window reopens in January.

Whether Ten Hag is still there by then, however, remains to be seen.

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The party line is that the 53-year-old's job at the club is safe, for the time being.

United chief Richard Arnold is said to think the club are still making progress under the former Ajax boss.

History suggests, however, that Ten Hag's job isn't as safe as the club insist.

They previously sacked Jose Mourinho before Christmas back in 2018.

And Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's head in November 2021, despite guiding the club to consecutive top-four finishes during his tenure.