Erik ten Hag Dismissed as Manchester United Managr
Manchester United has officially parted ways with manager Erik ten Hag. The Dutch coach was informed of his dismissal on Monday morning, ending his two-and-a-half-year tenure at Old Trafford. His final game in charge resulted in a Premier League loss to West Ham United on Sunday, leaving the club in 14th place, seven points shy of Champions League qualification, with only three wins from nine league matches and four from 14 in all competitions.
The club has appointed former United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, who joined in the offseason to assist Ten Hag, as interim manager while the remaining coaching staff remains in place.
Get Instantly Update By: Joining Our Whatapps and Telegram Channel
Ten Hag retained his position over the summer after a season review, despite United’s eighth-place Premier League finish—their lowest since 1990—and an FA Cup final victory over Manchester City. United also activated a one-year extension in Ten Hag’s contract in July, extending his tenure until 2025.
However, a poor start to the current season led key decision-makers, including CEO Omar Berrada, sporting director Dan Ashworth, and technical director Jason Wilcox, to recommend a change. Reports indicated that during an international break meeting in London, club leadership discussed Ten Hag’s performance and potential departure.
In his first season with United, Ten Hag secured a third-place league finish and a Carabao Cup win, ending United’s six-year trophy drought. But the club struggled last season, with an early Champions League exit and Europa League qualification only via the FA Cup victory.
United considered potential replacements, including England head coach Thomas Tuchel, USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino, ex-Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi, Brentford’s Thomas Frank, and Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna. Ultimately, co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS sporting director Sir Dave Brailsford decided to continue with Ten Hag.
United invested heavily in the summer transfer window, signing players like Matthijs de Ligt, Leny Yoro, Joshua Zirkzee, Manuel Ugarte, and Noussair Mazraoui, spending around £205 million. Just before the season’s start and their match against Liverpool, Berrada expressed the club’s “full backing” for Ten Hag.
Having previously managed Ajax and Dutch clubs Go Ahead Eagles and FC Utrecht, Ten Hag joined United in 2022 following a two-year stint as head coach of Bayern Munich’s reserve team. United’s next match will be against Leicester City in the League Cup on Wednesday at Old Trafford.