Erik ten Hag sacked LIVE: Manchester United line up next manager with Ruud van Nistelrooy named interim boss
Ten Hag has been sacked after Man Utd made their worst start to a Premier League season
Manchester United are searching for a new permanent manager after Erik ten Hag was sacked just weeks into the season, with former striker Ruud van Nistelrooy taking interim charge.
United made their worst start to a Premier League campaign after nine games and Ten Hag has been relieved of his duties despite signing a one-year contract extension in the summer.
The Dutchman won the FA Cup by beating Manchester City at Wembley to seemingly save his job, but United also held talks with potential replacements after a record-low 8th place finish in the Premier League.
United failed to improve, leaving minority owners Ineos and their new-look football operations department with their first major decision to make.
United spoke to Thomas Tuchel this summer but the German has since been appointed England manager and is out of contention.
But Ineos are admirers of former England manager Gareth Southgate, and there has also been interest in Ipswich’s Kieran McKenna and Sporting’s Ruben Amorim.
Follow all the reaction to Ten Hag’s sacking and updates on United’s new manager search in our live blog below
United are ‘a bit of a shambles’ says Lineker
Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker also gave his thoughts on his podcast saying that Erik ten Hag’s departure had been an ‘ongoing saga’.
Lineker said: “It’s been an ongoing saga, which sort of started in the summer just before the FA Cup (final) when we got wind of the fact United were sounding out other coaches.
“They seemed to go for Thomas Tuchel but he didn’t take the job, then they subsequently went back to Ten Hag. I suppose there was a degree of eventuality about this.
“It’s not like he’s not been backed. That’s a hell of a lot of money and it hasn’t worked at all. His argument will be ‘I’ve won trophies’ and he has, he’s won the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup, but I think you’ve got to judge managers on their league position.”
Lineker also added that the club had been ‘a bit of a shambles’ since Sir Jim Ratcliffe took over the football side of things solloing his minority owner investment.
‘It was an accident waiting to happen’ says Richards
Former Manchester City defender Micah Richards said on The Rest is Football podcast that Erik ten Hag‘s tenure as Manchester United boss was “like an accident waiting to happen”.
He told Alan Shearer and Gary Lineker: “Man United, we keep saying, are a massive club, it comes with huge pressure. We all know that.
“But for them not to have an identity in two-and-a-half years is not good enough. To be 14th in the league is not good enough.
“I don’t see much improvement. It was just like an accident waiting to happen at times and in the end it was probably the right decision.”
Ten Hag was a ‘dead man walking’ says Shearer
Alan Shearer told The Rest is Football podcast, that Erik ten Hag was a ‘dead man walking’ when reports emerged that Manchester United were looking for a new manager last summer.
He said: “We were just waiting for it to happen. Even the way he was talking that ‘we’re all on the same page’.
“Well, they weren’t really on the same page because everyone knew they were talking to managers in the summer.
“If they’re on the same page why on earth are they speaking to managers in the summer? As soon as that came out we all said he was a dead man walking, unfortunately.
“For them then to give him a new contract after that was bizarre really and to back him with £200m, and in nearly four months they’ve sacked him. Bizarre.”
Amorim responds to Man Utd links
Sporting CP boss Ruben Amorin has responded to the rumours linking him with the Manchester United position. He said:
“I was already expecting this question and obviously, I’m not going to talk about the future, because otherwise, I’ll always have to comment.
“I’m very proud to be Sporting coach, that’s all.”
Ten Hag reacts to West Ham defeat
It seems as though Manchester United’s 2-1 defeat to West Ham on Sunday was the decisive factor in the board taking action against the manager.
Erik ten Hag revealed after the defeat that United lacked a killer instinct in front of goal which was their undoing.
Ten Hag said: “Football is not always the best team winning. Today it’s very obvious and clear. Today we were far better than the opponent and there are two things: we didn’t score and it was a very poor decision from the referee – on-field and definitely also off-field.
“I think we played very good football, the first hour it was really enjoyable to watch our team – so dynamic, so much variation, so creative, so many chances.
“That is the only thing we miss – killing in front of the goal. Sometimes you are in this pattern and you have to break the pattern but it will come because our players are clinical and they can be relentless in front of the goal, so it will come.”
Ten Hag’s worst defeats
4-0 loss at Brentford (August 2022)
6-3 loss at Manchester City, after United were 4-0 by half-time (October 2022)
Record 7-0 home defeat by Liverpool (March 2023)
4-3 loss at Chelsea despite United leading deep into stoppage time (April 2024)
Erik ten Hag stats
Since the start of 2022/23, the only Premier League side to concede more goals in all competitions than Manchester United (165) is West Ham (180).
Man United have conceded three or more goals in 24 different games in that time, the joint most along with Bournemouth.
Van Nistelrooy has a lot of work to do says Ferdinand
Here’s more from Rio Ferdinand who says that interim boss Ruud van Nistelrooy has his work cut out managing a squad inherited from Erik ten Hag.
Ferdinand said: “Erik ten Hag recruited a large part of this squad and Ruud van Nistelrooy, as interim manager, has to work with that squad.
“If you look further ahead, at the replacement of the manager. What are they going to do with this squad? Because this is a bunch of players who have underperformed for numerous managers now.
“Some of these players have been here for one, two, three managers and we’ve still had the same results, where [the team] hasn’t been performing, hasn’t been consistent enough and hasn’t challenged for anything, of any sort. Someone’s got to come in and change that now.”
Erik ten Hag admits ‘luck not on my side’ in final Man United press conference
Erik ten Hag admitted luck was “not on his side” in his final Manchester United press conference as manager on Sunday, 27 October.
It came after United slipped to their fourth Premier League defeat of the season at West Ham. They now sit in the bottom half of the table, having won one of their last eight games in all competitions.
In a statement, the club thanked Ten Hag for his work and wished him well for the future. Ruud van Nistelrooy has been named interim head coach as United recruit a permanent head coach.
Manchester United’s statement
Manchester United have sacked Erik ten Hag as manager and released this statement on their website and social media pages:
“Erik ten Hag has left his role as Manchester United men’s first-team manager.
“Erik was appointed in April 2022 and led the club to two domestic trophies, winning the Carabao Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup in 2024.
“We are grateful to Erik for everything he has done during his time with us and wish him well for the future.
“Ruud van Nistelrooy will take charge of the team as interim head coach, supported by the current coaching team, whilst a permanent head coach is recruited.”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments