Erik ten Hag’s opening press conference as Manchester United manager filled fans of the Old Trafford club with hope. For the first time since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure, it seemed as though United had appointed a modern, progressive manager.
David Moyes was a peculiar choice as Ferguson’s replacement, while Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho were both past their best, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, for all the good vibes he brought to United, did not have the tactical acumen required to return the club to the top of the game.
Ten Hag arrived with a lofty reputation off the back of a trophy-laden spell with Ajax, and the Dutch club’s swashbuckling run to the Champions League semi-finals in 2019 was still fresh in many football fans’ memory.
One soundbite from Ten Hag’s opening press conference was always destined to follow him around, regardless of how well or how poorly he did as United manager, and that was when he said: “I admire both Manchester City and Liverpool. They both play fantastic football. But you will always see an era come to an end.”
Although Ten Hag won two trophies during his time at United, he didn’t come close to matching City in the league, finishing 14 points behind Pep Guardiola’s men during the 2022-23 season, and a whopping 31 points behind them in 2023-24. While United finished eight points above Liverpool in 2022-23, there was a 30-point swing last season, with the Reds finishing in third, 22 points ahead of United in eighth. United’s struggles worsened this term, with the club already 12 points adrift of City and 11 behind Liverpool after just nine games.
Poor finishing and poor officiating cost United a positive result against West Ham on Sunday, and a club statement issued less than 24 hours after the final whistle at the London Stadium confirmed the Dutchman’s fate.
“Erik ten Hag has left his role as Manchester United men’s first-team manager,” the statement said. “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.”
