Manchester United confirmed the departure of manager, Erik ten Hag in a statement released on Monday after the club’s 2-1 loss at West Ham United the day before which left them 14th on the Premier League standings.
The Red Devils’ assistant manager and ex-striker Ruud van Nistelrooy will take over on an interim basis as the search for a new manager continues, said the club in a statement.
While van Nistelrooy can be considered as a permanent favourite too, names like Xavi Hernandez, Thomas Frank, Julian Nagelsmann and Ruben Amorim have all been touted as potential replacements too.
Given the job in April 2022, Ten Hag led United to two domestic trophies – the League Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup in 2024.
However, his job was a hot subject for most of last season as United suffered a worst-ever eighth-place Premier League finish and exited the Champions League at the group stage and the Dutchman found himself firmly in the hot seat again this season amid a woeful start to the campaign.
But 116 days after signing a new contract with the club, the hierarchy have decided to pull the trigger on his sacking.
Their poor start to this season has come despite more than 600 million pounds in transfer fees being spent on new players since Ten Hag took charge ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.
United have won just four of their 14 games in all competitions so far this term and endured humiliating 3-0 losses to Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford.
They have achieved 11 points from nine matches in the Premier League, which is far off target, the club said, to achieve their goal of a top four finish.
“Erik ten Hag has left his role as Manchester United men’s first-team manager.
“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,” United said in a statement.
It has also been reported that one of the club’s reason to sack ten Hag was due to his inability to improve players that he signed.
It is also said that sacking ten Hag has been described by a Man United source as a ‘difficult and finely balanced decision but a collective and unanimous one’ as the new football structure believes there are no excuses for the current performances.
Van Nistelrooy – who will take charge of the next big league contest against Chelsea, but first a League Cup tie with Leicester City – returned to become an assistant to Ten Hag as part of the club’s coaching reshuffle in the off-season.
The 48-year-old former United striker was a fan-favourite as player, netting 150 goals in 219 games in all competitions. The Dutchman had been out of work since resigning as PSV Eindhoven boss just before the end of the 2022/23 season and he has also twice been the Netherlands assistant manager.
