Manchester United decide to sack Erik Ten Hag
His departure follows a disappointing Premier League defeat to West Ham United
Erik ten Hag has been dismissed as the manager of Manchester United, with the club confirming the news on Monday morning.
His departure follows a disappointing Premier League defeat to West Ham United on Sunday, marking the end of his two-and-a-half-year tenure at Old Trafford.
The loss left United languishing in 14th place in the league, seven points adrift of the Champions League qualification spots, after securing only three victories from nine league matches this season and four wins from 14 in all competitions.
In the wake of Ten Hag’s sacking, the club is exploring its next steps.
Former striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, who was brought in during the offseason to assist Ten Hag, has been asked to assume interim management duties, while the rest of the coaching staff remains in their positions for the time being.
Ten Hag retained his role as United manager following an end-of-season review after the team finished eighth in the Premier League, the club’s lowest placement since 1990.
He did, however, lead the team to an FA Cup final victory over rivals Manchester City.
The club exercised a one-year extension option on the 54-year-old’s contract in early July.
His previous deal, signed upon his appointment in 2022, was set to expire in 2025.
Despite this, a lackluster start to the new season prompted key decision-makers – including chief executive Omar Berrada, sporting director Dan Ashworth, and technical director Jason Wilcox – to advocate for a change in leadership.
During the international break, the United hierarchy was scheduled to meet in London to discuss Ten Hag’s performance and potential departure.
In his first season at the helm, Ten Hag led United to a third-place finish and secured the Carabao Cup, ending a six-year trophy drought.
However, last year, the club struggled domestically and in Europe, suffering a group-stage exit from the Champions League and only qualifying for the Europa League this season by winning the FA Cup.
United explored potential replacements, including now England head coach Thomas Tuchel, newly appointed USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino, former Brighton & Hove Albion manager Roberto De Zerbi, Brentford’s Thomas Frank, and Ipswich Town’s Kieran McKenna. Ultimately, after a process led by co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS sporting director Sir Dave Brailsford, the decision was made to retain Ten Hag at the start of the season.
During the summer transfer window, United invested heavily, signing Matthijs de Ligt, Leny Yoro, Joshua Zirkzee, Manuel Ugarte, and Noussair Mazraoui for a combined total of approximately £205million, including add-ons.
Just hours before the defeat to Liverpool, Berrada publicly stated that Ten Hag had the “full backing” of the club’s hierarchy.
Prior to joining United, Ten Hag managed Ajax for four and a half years and has also coached Go Ahead Eagles and FC Utrecht, in addition to a two-year spell at Bayern Munich’s reserve team.
United’s next match is against Leicester City in the League Cup at Old Trafford on Wednesday.
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