Manchester United has dismissed claims that they are looking for a replacement for Erik ten Hag as manager as “categorically false.”

Ten Hag is “on thin ice,” according to The Times, after losing eight of their first 15 games of the season, including back-to-back 3-0 defeats to Manchester City and Newcastle United. This is United’s worst dreadful start since 1962/63.

They brazenly listed Sporting manager Ruben Amorim and former Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane as prospective successors to the Dutchman, despite Zidane expressing no interest in coaching in the Premier League.

With Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s investment unlikely to be formalized until the new year, the first questions concerning The Times’ article should be who would be considering such a shift.

His INEOS company is anticipated to take over sporting decisions, but their top goals are understood to be the appointment of a new CEO and sporting director.

Ten Hag should be scrutinized following a dismal start to the season that has them in eighth place, despite the fact that they are only two points behind Newcastle and three points ahead of Chelsea.

He has a good chance of improving United’s league position in the next two weeks, when they play Fulham and Luton Town before the international break, sandwiched by a must-win Champions League match against Copenhagen.

OPINION: Should Erik ten Hag be fired? Man United have considerably more problems than the failing Dutchman.

Scott McTominay believes Ten Hag can turn the club’s fortunes around.

McTominay insisted that all of the hard effort put in by the players and coaching staff behind the scenes would eventually pay off.

The Scotland international told the club’s official website: “There’s more that goes into it when you’re not playing well and you’re not doing so well.

“I know the fans don’t want to hear that, they want to see results and performances and I think they want to see the players smiling and happy.

“It’s not quite happening at the moment, but I’m 100 per cent sure that the manager can put that into practice and it can come off. I’m sure of that.”

After successive 3-0 home defeats to Manchester City and Newcastle, United play at Fulham on Saturday and face Champions League group rivals Copenhagen in Denmark next Wednesday.

“We have to win, that’s always the thought process,” McTominay said. “Obviously my thoughts are with the fans at the minute because we’re not playing well and it’s difficult for them.

“They pay their hard-earned money every week to come and watch us and the least we can do is play well and win football matches.

“It’s not quite happening at the moment, sometimes that’s football, but I feel like for us in that dressing room we have to stay tight and keep a clear head, and we can’t get too emotional with everything that surrounds us. We’ve got to block it all out.”

Ten Hag has urged his players to “stand up” and work “shoulder by shoulder” and McTominay agreed a united dressing room is key to halting their slide.

“Everyone knows that we’re not in our best period at the minute. We have to stick together, that’s the most important thing,” he said.

“Obviously the fans will hear the generic response of ‘we’ve got to stick together’, but it’s true.

“Everyone wants this football club to succeed and we have to pull together and try to be as good with each other as possible in the dressing room to get those results going our way.

“I feel like we’ve got more than enough talent in the changing room to do that and whenever you look at the boys who are playing, but obviously something isn’t quite clicking.

“That’s up to the manager and the players to fix that and I’m 100 per cent confident that we will.”