Manchester United has dismissed manager Erik ten Hag due to the team’s disappointing beginning to the season, the storied Premier League club announced on Monday.
After suffering their fourth defeat in nine league matches at West Ham on Sunday, United has fallen to 14th place in the table and has secured only one victory in their last eight games across all competitions.
A club statement read, “Erik ten Hag has left his role as Manchester United men’s first-team manager.”
Ten Hag, who took over in April 2022, led the club to two domestic trophies, including the Carabao Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup in 2024. The club expressed gratitude for his contributions and wished him well in the future.
Following this decision, former striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, who returned to the club as Ten Hag’s assistant in July, will take over as interim manager while a permanent head coach is sought.
Before the loss to West Ham, Ten Hag had overseen United’s worst start to a top-flight campaign since 1989/90. Questions about his future had arisen after United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe maintained Ten Hag’s position following an internal review at the end of last season, which concluded with an eighth-place finish in the Premier League. Moreover, Ten Hag had received a one-year contract extension until June 2026 after his unexpected victory in the FA Cup final against Manchester City in May.
Nevertheless, he struggled to address many issues that plagued the team last season. Despite successfully defending his record, which included two trophies in his first two full seasons, results in his second season deteriorated significantly due to player injuries, disappointing performances from high-profile signings, and a lack of a defined playing style.
United was eliminated from the Champions League during the group stage following defeats to Galatasaray and FC Copenhagen, with other notable losses at home against teams like Bournemouth, Brighton, and Fulham during the 2023/2024 season.
Efforts to reform the club’s sporting structure, led by co-owner Ratcliffe, resulted in significant changes off the pitch, including the hiring of a new chief executive, sporting director, and technical director.
Ten Hag’s surprising FA Cup victory over Manchester City had initially seemed to provide a reprieve, but hopes for a successful turnaround quickly faded with early season setbacks, including 3-0 losses to Liverpool and Tottenham at Old Trafford and an inability to secure wins in their first two Europa League fixtures against FC Twente and Porto.
While Ten Hag’s tenure has been criticized, it represents only a small part of the broader decline that has followed the retirement of legendary manager Alex Ferguson in 2013. Since Ferguson’s departure, five permanent managers have been sacked without the club seriously competing for a Premier League title, a trophy they claimed 13 times under his leadership.
