Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag has two finished players in his squad after Aston Villa defeat

Aston Villa smash Manchester United just when they appear to be turning a corner under Erik ten Hag. Unai Emery’s team dominated in every aspect, taking all three points thanks to goals from Leon Bailey, Lucas Digne, and Jacob Ramsey. And the match in the Midlands will fuel speculation that Cristiano Ronaldo and Donny van de Beek are done, with neither player doing well enough on the day.

Manchester United entered their game against Villa on a high after previous triumphs over Sheriff, West Ham, and Real Sociedad.

But on a horrific afternoon at Villa Park, the Red Devils were dragged tumbling back down to earth.

Bailey and Digne both scored in the first half to put the home side in a frenzy, with Luke Shaw grabbing a consolation after his deflected strike sailed into the net.

However, Ramsey scored soon after the restart to restore Villa’s two-goal lead and send the home crowd into raptures.

On the day, United had a number of poor performers.

One of them was Victor Lindelof, who was blown away in the first half and unable to cope with the quickness and pace of Ollie Watkins.

Christian Eriksen also had a forgettable day, while Marcus Rashford looked confused on the right wing, a position he plainly does not enjoy playing in.

But, whisper it carefully, Ronaldo and Van de Beek might be done.

In the absence of Bruno Fernandes and Harry Maguire, Ronaldo was appointed captain less than two weeks after it appeared he would never play for them again.

And, despite his huffing and puffing, it became evident that the 37-year-abilities old’s aren’t what they used to be.

It’s not just Ronaldo’s shooting that has been lacking, with the Portugal star missing many scoring chances in the first half.

Up top, he appears toothless. His pace is no longer an issue, with the veteran having a lot more static presence than anyone could have thought.

United performs well when they have a fast team.

And based on this performance, it appears that Ronaldo will struggle to start most games, especially now that Anthony Martial is completely healed and available again.

It was a terrible afternoon for Van de Beek.

The United midfielder made his first league start since May 2021, filling in for the banned Bruno Fernandes.

And it would be an understatement to say Van de Beek squandered the opportunity, with the former Ajax star an invisible presence as his side succumbed to defeat.

It will be three years since his arrival in August of next year.

And Van de Beek has done nothing to suggest he can be a hit and a regular for many years to come during his time at Old Trafford.

Neither Ronaldo nor Van van Beek are good enough for a Manchester United squad that is keen to return to the top of world football in the coming years.

And it would be a surprise if either player is retained for the Carabao Cup rematch against Villa in midweek.

Today is undoubtedly a wake-up call for the Red Devils.

There has been discussion of United fighting for the league crown, but for the time being, they would settle with just qualifying for the Champions League.

Ten Hag has long warned that there may be setbacks as he attempts to restore the glory days with his magic wand.

United is clearly in transition, and more afternoons like these may be expected between now and the end of the season.