Erik Ten Hag was dismissed as Manchester United manager two and a half years after joining the club in 2022.
Ultimately, Sunday’s 2-1 loss to West Ham at the London Stadium marked the end of Ten Hag’s tenure at Old Trafford.
Few United fans would claim this was unexpected. With only three wins from their first nine Premier League games, United sit in 14th place, and their midweek draw with Fenerbahce extended a European winless streak that has now lasted over a year.
Though Ten Hag’s time at United had its lows, he can still highlight the highs, including adding two trophies to the club’s collection — the Carabao Cup in 2023 and an FA Cup victory over rivals Manchester City last season.
Erik Ten Hag’s Manchester United Journey in Photos
Erik ten Hag was named Manchester United’s head coach on April 21, 2022, signing a three-year contract with a four-year option. The Dutchman arrived as one of Europe’s top young coaches, having led Ajax to three Eredivisie titles in four years. He left Ajax early to begin preparations for his first season at Old Trafford.
Ten Hag’s tenure began on a rough note as United lost their first two matches of the 2022-23 season. He became the first United manager to lose his first two games since John Chapman in 1921. games in charge. A 2-1 defeat to Brighton at Old Trafford was followed by a 4-0 loss at Brentford, sparking reports of growing tension between the manager and forward Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ten Hag didn’t have to wait long for his first trophy as United manager, with his team defeating Newcastle United 2-0 in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley, thanks to goals from Casemiro and Marcus Rashford. United also bounced back from their slow Premier League start, going on a strong run that saw Ten Hag become the fastest manager in United’s history to reach 20 competitive wins.
However, United’s weaknesses became apparent as they followed their Carabao Cup win with a historic 7-0 loss to Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool at Anfield. The result marked United’s joint-heaviest defeat in club history and was the first time they had conceded seven goals in a single match since 1931.
United ultimately finished third in the Premier League, with Ten Hag coming close to securing a domestic double in his first season. However, they were defeated 2-1 by local rivals Man City in the FA Cup final in June. Ilkay Gündogan’s brace, which included the fastest goal in FA Cup final history (12 seconds), was enough to hand Pep Guardiola’s side the trophy.
Following lengthy negotiations with the Glazer family, Manchester United’s majority owners, British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, finalized a deal on February 20, 2024, to acquire a 27.7% stake in the club. It was also announced that Ratcliffe’s Ineos group would take charge of the club’s football operations, a development Ten Hag welcomed, expressing that he and Ratcliffe were “very aligned” in their goals for the team.
Just about a month later, Ten Hag achieved what is possibly his most iconic victory as United manager: a 4-3 FA Cup quarterfinal win over Liverpool, which is considered one of the competition’s most thrilling matches. Amad Diallo, a United youth product, scored the extra-time winner, securing a memorable triumph for Ten Hag after Liverpool had been ahead both in the 87th minute of regular time and again in the 112th minute of extra-time.
Despite a 2-0 win at Brighton on the last day of the 2023-24 Premier League season, United finished eighth with 60 points, marking their worst-ever finish in the competition’s history. Their previous lowest finish in the Premier League era was seventh, under David Moyes in 2013-14. With 14 league defeats in one season, it was their highest total since recording 16 losses in 1989-90 under Sir Alex Ferguson.
With his job seemingly on the line, Ten Hag orchestrated a stunning victory over Man City in the 2024 FA Cup final, avenging his team’s defeat the previous season. Goals from Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho earned Ten Hag his second trophy in two seasons, preventing Guardiola from claiming a domestic double after Man City secured their fourth consecutive Premier League title.
The FA Cup victory earned Ten Hag a one-year contract extension at Old Trafford ahead of the new season. However, United struggled in his third year, winning only three of their first nine Premier League matches. Sunday’s 2-1 loss to West Ham in east London became the tipping point, leading the club’s hierarchy to dismiss Ten Hag and appoint his assistant, the legendary former United forward Ruud van Nistelrooy, as interim manager.
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