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Why did Man United sack Erik ten Hag? Full Journey of the Dutchman at Old Trafford

By now the football world is privy to the fact that Erik ten Hag is no longer the Manchester United manager. Following their latest loss at the hands of West Ham on Sunday, it appears that the club hierarchy seemingly decided that it was in fact time for a change. On Monday afternoon it was revealed that Man United sacked Erik ten Hag, effective immediately with assistant manager and former striker Ruud van Nistelrooy taking charge as interim head coach. 

For the most part, the decision will appease a lot of Manchester United fans who have been clamoring for INEOS to take action. At the same time, ten Hag’s departure is largely seen as bad news by rival fans who have been left distraught by the Dutchman’s sacking. That, by and large, gives a rather clear indication of ten Hag’s time as Man United manager, and why some fans were so keen to get rid. 

However, for those on the outside, ten Hag had ended the club’s trophy drought and delivered domestic cup triumphs in back-to-back seasons. Then why did Man United sack their manager, that too after triggering an extension on his 2025 contract and when he has won trophies? Let’s take a deeper look and understand. 

Erik ten Hag’s Man United journey and achievements 

Erik ten Hag and captain Bruno Fernandes
Erik ten Hag and captain Bruno Fernandes celebrate the club’s FA Cup victory over Manchester City in 2024. (Credits: Getty)

Following the 2021 season, Man United moved quickly in the market to acquire the services of Ajax’s Erik ten Hag who had won his team the league in the last three out of four seasons. That along with an attacking brand of football with which Ajax mesmerized the top European teams in the Champions League, saw Ten Hag as the perfect candidate to take over the reins at Old Trafford. 

Unfortunately, ten Hag had a less-than-ideal start to the 2022-2023 season, losing his first two Premier League games in charge. Whilst some fans had already started having reservations about the Dutchman, they still decided to give things time. By February, ten Hag had managed to find some rhythm, getting an important  2-1 victory over Liverpool and delivering a Carabao Cup triumph as well. Notably, it was the club’s first trophy since 2017 and certainly gave ten Hag a lot of credit in the bank.

That said, the writing was once again on the wall when Man United were thrashed 7-0 at Anfield in the very next game. Truth be told, amidst the long list of shocking defeats under the manager, many may have already forgotten about this one. With shocking defeats against mid and bottom-of-the-table clubs, embarrassments had seen Man United become a laughing stock in the country. Either way, a third-place finish, despite some very poor results went a long way for him.

The 2023-2024 season saw more cracks appearing with losses in big games, a lack of identity, and overall just no signs of any progression under the new manager. As a result, the club languished in mid-table, ending in eighth place, their worst showing in the top flight since the 1989–90 season. Not just that but finishing at the bottom of the Champions League group was equally as telling. However, an FA Cup final win against Manchester City seemingly saved the manager’s position.

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Why did Man United sack Erik ten Hag mid-way through the season?

Fans did not take to Erik ten Hag's
Fans did not take to Erik ten Hag’s decision to sideline players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho, and Amad Diallo. (Credits: Getty)

Coming into his third season in charge in 2024-2025, there was a lot of pressure on Erik ten Hag to turn things around and quickly. With murmurings of his potential sacking before the start of the season, Manchester United owners INEOS decided to activate the extension clause in his contract to keep him at the club until 2026. It effectively took a lot of pressure off of the manager, who was also given significant funds to recruit new players as well. 

During the summer transfer window, Manchester United brought in Matthijs de Ligt, Leny Yoro, Joshua Zirkzee, Manuel Ugarte, and Noussair Mazraoui, spending approximately £205million ($274m) including add-ons. That said, things haven’t exactly gone to plan since then with Sunday’s defeat seeing United sat 14th in the Premier League at the moment, seven points off of Champions League contention. Additionally, their record in the Europa League has been nothing to write home about either. 

Either way, it begs the question: Why did Man United sack Erik ten Hag now? Well, the answer to that has numerous reasons, and as many fans have suggested, it was high time for the 54-year-old to vacate his spot. Throughout his tenure, fans have felt that Ten Hag has never taken accountability after a loss and when asked about his tactics and more, has always referred to a ‘plan’, or blamed external circumstances and refereeing for his shortcomings. Notably, a spat with a reporter during a press conference on the same topic was also quite telling. 

Secondly, no one can deny that there has been a clear case of man mismanagement at the club since his arrival, especially with fan favorites like Cristiano Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho, and Amad Diallo, among others. At the same time, other players like Marcus Rashford, and Bruno Fernandes have been favored despite strings of poor performances. In addition to this, ten Hag’s transfer strategy has at times seemed laughable with unreasonable amounts splurged on players far below United’s level, the most prominent case being that of Antony, secured from Ajax in 2022 for £100 million ($95 million).

Who will be the next Man United manager after Erik ten Hag?

Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann
Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann is at the top of fans’ wishlist to become the new Man United manager. (Credits: Getty)

With more than £600 million ($779.28 million) spent rather poorly since his arrival in 2022, and nothing substantial to show for it, it was only a matter of time before Manchester United sacked Erik ten Hag. However, the timing of the deed is quite measured, giving the Dutchman a last chance to prove himself with a good start to the season. All the while former striker Ruud Van Nistelrooy has been integrating well with the management and the team, potentially a viable option to step in when the time comes. 

With Van Nistelrooy taking charge as the interim manager, it will give him time to steady the ship for now. Seeing that an international break in November is fast approaching, it will give him time to convey his ideas and set his squad up well. All things considered, there would not have been a better time or opportunity for the interim manager and former player throughout the season. Additionally, the January transfer window will allow INEOS to once again bring in a manager that they deem will be a right fit for the job. 

Currently, there have been a number of names shortlisted for the job, such as former England coach Gareth Southgate, former Dortmund manager Edin Terzic, Ruben Amorim from Sporting CP, Thomas Frank from Brentford and former Barcelona manager Xavi. At the same time, many Manchester United fans will want to see the appointment of former Bayern and current Germany National team coach Julian Nagelsmann, a young attack-minded coach at the helm. Whatever the choice may be, it is clear that INEOS and the United hierarchy will be aiming for someone with a clear plan for the squad and the club. 

As for Erik ten Hag, he departs from his role having managed 85 Premier League matches, (128 overall) with 44 wins (70 overall), and 14 losses (35), making for a 52% (54% overall) win rate. Since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson, there have been six managers in charge of Manchester United. Out of them, ten Hag ranks second in terms of win rate, marginally behind Jose Mourinho. Despite this, many fans will be happy seeing Man United sack Erik ten Hag, whilst some loyalists will still vehemently defend his case.

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