Manchester United finally ran out of patience and fired manager Erik ten Hag on Monday after a troubled start to the season which has left the 20-time English champions languishing in the Premier League amid a period of major upheaval at the club.
The Dutch coach won two domestic cups in his 2 1/2 years in charge but has paid the price for leading United to its worst start to a season, with the team having lost four of its opening nine league games and in 14th place.
Heavy home losses to fierce rival Liverpool and Tottenham left Ten Hag under severe pressure and seemingly changed the mood among United fans who have been prepared to give him more time. A 2-1 loss at West Ham on Sunday proved to be his last game in charge.
United has won just one of its last eight games in all competitions.
“Erik ten Hag has left his role as Manchester United men’s first-team manager,” United said, adding that Ruud van Nistelrooy, one of Ten Hag’s assistants and a former striker at the club, would be taking over as interim head coach while a permanent head coach is recruited.
Among those linked with taking over at United are former England coach Gareth Southgate, former Chelsea manager Graham Potter and former Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez.
“We are grateful to Erik for everything he has done during his time with us," United said, "and wish him well for the future.”
Ten Hag joined from Dutch giant Ajax and was tasked with the responsibility of bringing the good times back to a club that has been in decline since former manager Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.
Despite winning the League Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup this year, United was showing no sign of improving on its worst league campaign in 34 years, having finished in eighth place last season.
Already 12 points behind first-place Manchester City in the Premier League, United — which never had a distinguishable style of play under Ten Hag and often conceded late goals — appears to have little hope of challenging for the title and is in danger of missing out on qualification for the lucrative Champions League once again.
Ten Hag only held onto his job following an unexpected victory over fierce rival Man City in the FA Cup final in May and an extensive end-of-year review by United. He was then handed a one-year extension to his contract to 2026.
However, the club’s new soccer leadership — fronted by new minority owner Jim Ratcliffe — was unimpressed with the pace of change and the recent results under Ten Hag, who has overseen the spending of about 615 million pounds ($800 million) on new players since his arrival. In the Premier League, only Chelsea has spent more in that time.
Ratcliffe, the British billionaire, has taken over control of United’s soccer operations, with a new CEO, sporting director and technical director all installed in recent months. They now have to appoint a sixth permanent manager since Ferguson’s departure, following David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ten Hag.
"I don't think anybody will be truly shocked after what happened yesterday," former United defender Gary Neville said of the latest loss to West Ham.
“The fact they are in 14th is just unacceptable. You can't be 14th after nine games with the level of spending that has occurred, without being under significant pressure.”
The team’s next game is at home to Leicester in the English League Cup on Wednesday.
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James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson
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