Manchester United defender Jonny Evans has insisted that the club's players are behind Erik ten Hag amid the ongoing speculation surrounding the manager's future at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils have made their worst-ever start to a Premier League season, picking up just eight points from their opening seven matches of the campaign, which has left them down in 14th spot in the Premier League table.

There was a host of speculation surrounding Ten Hag's future heading into the October international break, but the Dutchman has kept his job and will lead the team into Saturday's clash with Brentford.

Evans was handed another one-year deal by Man United over the summer and has made six appearances this term, while he has turned out for the club on 234 occasions across two spells.

The 36-year-old has insisted that the dressing room are "pushing" in a bid to turn the season around, with the defender firmly denying that the players are no longer with their manager.

Evans denies Ten Hag has lost Man United dressing room

"You can see it, the way the lads train every day, the professionalism within the group and you get that sort of feeling in the games as well," Evans told Sky Sports News.

"I've been around football a long time, I know when a dressing room's pushing and we're doing everything we can here to push to try and make sure that we're competing at the top.

"Fans know football and they can see it when they watch a game. I hope that they're getting that sense that everyone's fighting and doing everything they can to win a game of football, because there's no doubt if the supporters didn't feel that, they'd let the players know.

"And the supporters at this football club have been nothing but supportive, even last week against Aston Villa. I think they could see the energy and determination that we've put into the match and they showed that afterwards."

Evans praises Ten Hag's "strength" amid ongoing struggles

Discussing Ten Hag's position at Old Trafford, Evans continued: "He's a very strong-minded man and you know, I admire him for that. You see that he's very principled in the way he wants to work and the way he is as a person, and he very rarely changes.

"He shows a real sort of strength and who he believes that he is, and who he wants to be. And I admire him for that sort of strength and courage to continue. He's always very positive and his message is always the same and very consistent.

"It's important - I suppose 'cause that's the job of the coaches is to create that environment and culture within the club that we still keep pushing and improve the results and obviously the league position.

"You can take the positives from the defensive side of the game, we want to add more goals and I suppose from their perspective, always looking at the positive side; where can we improve not sort of letting outside noise sort of influence us.

"Ruud [van Nistelrooy] spoke the other day about the fact that it's a game and getting back there to when you're a kid playing football and going out and competing. I think that's where everyone wants to get to that sort of new place where you're not affected by outside noise, and you can just go out and perform to your best every week.

"And that's what I suppose every footballer, every single weekend strives for, I think playing with enjoyment and a smile on your face. Obviously we've got expectations to win football matches and it's always more enjoyable whenever you win."

Man United will be aiming to record just their third Premier League win of the season when they host Brentford on Saturday, with their only two previous successes this term coming against Fulham and Southampton.