Currently languishing in 14th position in the Premier League standings after nine matches, Manchester United sacked manager Erik ten Hag on Monday. In a statement, the club revealed that Ten Hag’s assistant and ex-United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy will be taking over the role on an interim basis.
Ten Hag was appointed on April 21, 2022, and was expected to bring United back to their glory days. The Dutchman was very successful at the Eredivisie with Ajax, winning the league title on three occasions (2018-19, 2020-21 and 2021-22).
He also led Ajax to the 2018-19 Champions League semi-finals for the first-time since 1997, by defeating defending champions Real Madrid 4-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu at the Round of 16, and also beating Juventus in the quarter-finals.
Ten Hag led United to two domestic trophies; the League Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup in 2024. But last season, United finished in eighth place in the Premier League and crashed out of the Champions League at the group stage. Since then, his position has been under the scanner.
Here are the events which led to his eventual departure:
Cristiano Ronaldo’s explosive interview
If one traces back Ten Hag’s United tenure, the problems began with the way he dealt with Cristiano Ronaldo. The Dutchman began to use Ronaldo as a substitute, and he also wasn’t included in the squad on more than one occasion. He was also suspended by Ten Hag after he refused to come in as a substitute during a 2-0 win vs Tottenham.
Ronaldo came up with the perfect response, going on an interview with British broadcaster Piers Morgan, just before the 2022 World Cup, where he lashed out at the Dutchman.
“I don’t have respect for him [Ten Hag] because he doesn’t show respect for me,” he said.
After the interview, United terminated Ronaldo’s contract, and he moved to Al Nassr. Since his exit, United have failed to find a natural goalscorer with Rasmus Hojlund failing to shine on a consistent basis.
Jadon Sancho’s exit
After Ronaldo, Ten Hag’s problems with United’s players didn’t just end there. England winger Jadon Sancho was his next victim, as he was axed from the squad late 2023 onwards, where the Dutchman said that it was due to ‘his performances in training’. Sancho then began to train away from the first team due to a discipline issue, and then joined former club Borussia Dortmund on loan in January 2024.
The Englishman shone in their run to the Champions League final, where they lost to Real Madrid. For the 2024-25 season, Sancho joined Chelsea on loan, with an obligation to buy, worth 20 million Euros, plus five million in add-ons, and it will be reportedly triggered if Chelsea finish within the top-14 in the league. Sancho has found relative success since joining Chelsea, and United fans have begun to wonder as to why Ten Hag let him go.
Fan discontent with Antony
When Ten Hag moved to United, he also bought Antony with him, who shone for the Dutch club on the right wing. United signed him for a reported transfer fee of 82 million Pounds, with a further 5 million in add-ons, which also became the third highest transfer fee ever paid by the club.
But since his arrival, Antony has been extremely disappointing, scoring only five goals in 56 matches. Despite his poor displays, Ten Hag’s continuous trust has annoyed fans, and in particular Amad Diallo, who has been benched repeatedly for the Brazilian.
Tottenham cruise past Manchester United
On September 29, Tottenham thrashed United 3-0, with centre-back Micky van de Ven dribbling 70 yards before crossing for Brennan Johnson to open the scoring. Then United captain Bruno Fernandes received a red card before half-time, followed by goals from Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke.
The final nail in the coffin
The final nail in the coffin was West Ham’s stoppage-time win on Sunday. The Hammers took the lead in the 74th-minute, courtesy of a goal from Crysencio Summerville. Then Casemiro equalised in the 81st-minute. But Lady Luck had other plans and West Ham received a penalty in stoppage time, which Jarrod Bowen converted with ease for a 2-1 win.
