Manchester United parted ways with Erik Ten Hag, ending his tenure as manager after two and a half years.
The Dutch manager was informed of his dismissal on Monday morning, following United’s 2-1 Premier League loss to West Ham on Sunday, which left the club in 14th place.
Since joining from Ajax in April 2022, Ten Hag led United to two domestic trophies, securing the Carabao Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup in 2024.
His first season saw the club place third in the league behind Manchester City and Arsenal with 75 points, as he guided the team to 23 wins, nine losses, and six draws.
The Carabao Cup win also ended United’s six-year trophy drought, sparking optimism for a new era.
However, Ten Hag’s second season was marred by struggles.
United finished eighth, their lowest league position since 1990, and suffered an early Champions League exit, qualifying for the Europa League only through their FA Cup victory.
Despite these setbacks, the club retained him over the summer and supported his strategy by spending around £205 million ($274m) on high-profile signings, including Matthijs de Ligt, Leny Yoro, Joshua Zirkzee, Manuel Ugarte, and Noussair Mazraoui.
This season, however, failed to deliver the anticipated turnaround.
United continued to struggle in both the league and Europe, losing four of their opening nine games and sitting 14th on the Premier League table, while drawing all three of their Europa League matches.
Ten Hag’s departure leaves United fans divided.
While he brought silverware and a renewed fighting spirit, the club’s inconsistency in the Premier League and Europe ultimately overshadowed his successes.
