A dread of ordinariness, and an even greater dread of losing to ordinariness, had clung grimly to the build-up to this game all week.
For a fallen giant such as Manchester United, a club at a stage in its history when it is caught between hope and fear, there is always escape in losing to a side like Liverpool, as United did heavily on the first day of this month.
But United versus Tottenham is not a match that sells alibis. Not for anyone. Not for the beleaguered Dutchman or for the new Ineos minority ownership group, led by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, that decided, incomprehensibly, to keep him in post this season.
Lose to Spurs, who were only one defeat from a kind of crisis themselves, and Erik ten Hag knew that the emptiness at the core of this United team that he has built would be laid bare. The 3-0 defeat that his side suffered at Old Trafford left no doubt about that emptiness.
The truth is that Ten Hag is out of excuses. His time is up. There is no hiding place for him any more. His boasts about winning minor trophies are worthless when his team plays like this.
MATCH FACTS AND PLAYER RATINGS
