Manchester United has officially dismissed Erik Ten Hag from his position as the first-team manager following a disappointing start to the season, the club announced on Monday.
The decision comes after United’s drop to 14th place in the Premier League, having suffered their fourth defeat in nine league games against West Ham on Sunday.
The team has managed to win only one of their last eight matches across all competitions.
In a club statement, they confirmed, “Erik ten Hag has left his role as Manchester United men’s first-team manager.”
Ten Hag, who took charge in April 2022, led the club to two domestic trophies,the Carabao Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup in 2024. The club expressed gratitude for his contributions and wished him well for the future.
In the interim, former striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, who returned as Ten Hag’s assistant in July, will serve as the interim manager while the club searches for a permanent replacement.
Even before the loss to West Ham, Ten Hag oversaw United’s worst start to an English top-flight campaign since the 1989/90 season.
His position had been under scrutiny, especially after United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe decided to keep him on following an internal review after the previous season’s eighth-place finish.
Despite winning two trophies during his tenure, Ten Hag failed to address significant issues that plagued the team last season.
United’s lack of success continued, highlighted by early exits from the Champions League and disappointing home defeats against teams like Bournemouth, Brighton, and Fulham.
The club’s leadership underwent changes recently, with Ratcliffe spearheading a new sporting structure that included appointing a new chief executive, sporting director, and technical director.
However, Ten Hag’s brief resurgence following the FA Cup final victory over Manchester City was not enough to secure his position amid a tumultuous start to the new season.
Since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013, five permanent managers have been dismissed without the club posing a genuine challenge for the Premier League title, a trophy they won 13 times under Ferguson’s management.
