Manchester United sack Ten Hag after dropping to 14th in table
The Erik ten Hag era at Manchester United is over.
On the heels of another historically bad start to the season, Manchester United relieved Ten Hag of his duties after more than two years in charge, the team announced Monday.
A contentious 2-1 loss to West Ham on Sunday left the Red Devils in 14th place with just 11 points from nine Premier League matches. Ten Hag, who actually had his contract extended in the summer amid much speculation about his future, guided the club to just four wins from 13 games across all competitions this season.
"We are grateful to Erik for everything he has done during his time with us and wish him well for the future," the club said, adding that former striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, one of Ten Hag's assistants, will take over as interim coach while the search for a permanent replacement is conducted.
The club had hoped to give Ten Hag a full season to work under the new Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS setup, but finally lost faith in the manager's ability to turn things around, sources told Rob Dawson of ESPN.
A shortlist of around five potential permanent replacements is being analyzed, according to Melissa Reddy of Sky Sports.
Manchester United opened the season with a win over Fulham but lost two of their next three league games. They then began a five-game winless run, which included a humiliating 0-0 draw against the Dutch coach's former team FC Twente and culminated with several toothless displays.
Ten Hag's firing comes on the heels of a wretched run in which United won just one of eight matches across all competitions.
In total, the Dutchman lost 27.3% of his games while in charge of the storied club despite significant backing in the transfer market. Manchester United spent over £600 million during his reign, with nearly half of that sum going toward former Ajax players with whom Ten Hag was familiar.
"The big shock for me is how bad they've been with the new signings that have come in," former Manchester United captain Gary Neville said.
He added: "The fact that they are 14th is unacceptable. You can't be in 14th after nine or 10 games with the level of spend that's occurred without being under significant pressure - and that's what's happened."
Ten Hag signed a three-year contract to become Manchester United's coach in April 2022 after a successful spell at Ajax. He was the fifth permanent coach - and eighth overall - appointed after legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.
Ten Hag ended his first season on a positive note. He oversaw United's League Cup triumph - the club's first major trophy since 2017 - months before they sealed a Champions League berth by finishing third in the Premier League.
He also dealt with the unsavory departure of team legend Cristiano Ronaldo that season. The Portuguese superstar fell out with Ten Hag after criticizing the club and the coach in a revealing interview. Ronaldo ultimately left in late 2022 to play in Saudi Arabia.
The next season, United finished bottom of their Champions League group. They also regressed in the league, finishing a disappointing eighth, their lowest position in the top flight since 1990.
Ten Hag managed to end the season on a high, though, as United captured the FA Cup with a surprise win over rivals Manchester City at Wembley Stadium. That singular victory was largely credited with saving Ten Hag's job at the time amid swirling rumors about his future.
However, the club's failure to show meaningful progression continued this season and ultimately led to Ten Hag's departure.