After Manchester United’s loss against West Ham, manager Erik ten Hag was fired.
West Ham defeated United 2-1 at the London Stadium on Saturday, dropping United to 14th place in the Premier League. United said in a statement that club veteran Ruud van Nistelrooy would serve as interim manager.
“We are grateful to Erik for everything he has done during his time with us and wish him well for the future,” they stated. “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.”
Ten Hag nearly left United during the summer after leading them to their worst-ever Premier League finish, but Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s new administration ultimately chose to retain him as manager and extended his contract by one year.
However, United has decided to make the move after a dismal start to the current season. Despite investing over £200 million on new players in the summer, the team has only won one of their last eight games in all competitions.
After joining United from Ajax, where he won three Eredivisie titles in four years, Ten Hag did win the FA Cup and the League Cup during his two and a half years as manager. United claimed to have the Dutchman’s “full backing” just a month ago.
“Erik has our full backing and we have worked very closely together in this transfer window,” stated Omar Berrada, United’s new CEO, before to the team’s 3-0 loss to Liverpool. In order to assist him get the most out of the team, we will continue to work closely with him.
“Do we still think Erik is real? Of course. Erik is the ideal coach for us, and we wholeheartedly support him.” Ten Hag lamented his team’s inability to score goals and a contentious penalty call in his farewell interview as United’s manager.
He remarked, “We know, we have to score,” following the loss to West Ham. “We should have led 2-0 or 3-0 at halftime since we created so many opportunities. However, the way we accept the penalty feels like a huge injustice.
“There was an incident, but it was really hard to see, and we were told prior to the season that the VAR would only have to step in if there was a glaring error. Clearly, the referee on the pitch did not make this glaring error.
United has already begun evaluating possible Ten Hag replacements, including former Barcelona manager Xavi, Ruben Amorim of Sporting Lisbon, Thomas Frank of Brentford, and Edin Terzic, the former head coach of Borussia Dortmund.
“One thing is for sure if I ever leave Brentford, which will probably happen one day,” Frank said in response to a recent question about whether he would accept the United position one day on the Sports Agents podcast. I am certain that I will return to Denmark at some point.
“Who can predict what the future holds? We’re never sure. Since I’m presumably in one of the greatest clubs in the world, as I’ve stated numerous times, I believe it’s crucial. The conversation is over. Everything, including the culture, leadership, and alignment.
What makes me want to leave this place at all? However, anything can happen; you might want fresh inspiration or something else entirely, but you might also find another source of inspiration here at the club and end up staying longer. Returning to your subject, though, I won’t skirt it. Don’t worry, I’m convinced that going to a large club would not improve my life if I ever had an invitation from one.
“I believe we are all aware of that, but hey, perhaps you could try that challenge. I’m not considering that at the moment. You have no idea what it would be like to walk into another job; perhaps it would be even better than this one.
“I’m just interested in the publicity that some managers receive, and I don’t believe it’s the aspect of football that they like the most. I’m content right now, but we’ll deal with whatever comes up in the future.
After a private meeting with Ratcliffe throughout the summer, Thomas Tuchel was once considered a strong candidate. He has since been named manager of England, though, and during his formal introduction, he was questioned about why he had accepted the position rather than waited for United to approach him.
“The idea and the way John [McDermott] and Mark [Bullingham] presented it was very fast and confidential,” he said. “It was pretty simple; the decision was made for this work and not for any other reason. You will realise that, as usual, I will not be commenting on any other teams or on specific players today.
Prior to playing Chelsea in the Premier League on Sunday, United will return to action on Wednesday when they host Leicester in the League Cup. After Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Jose Mourinho, Louis van Gaal, and David Moyes all had stints in charge, they are currently looking for their sixth permanent manager since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.
After Moyes, Ten Hag leaves Old Trafford with the second-lowest average of points per game (1.72) and the second-highest defeat percentage (31.8%) in the history of the Premier League.
