Ten Hag Sacked at Last!

Dutch boss, Erik Ten Hag, was dismissed as manager of Man United on Monday the 28th of October, 2024. In a football world where there is very little patience, both the fans and board at the club gave the former Ajax coach every chance to succeed but in the end he just had to go. There are many who feel the club waited for too long and, in fact they should have cut ties at the end of last season, if not sooner.

Erik Ten Hag’s Time at Man United

Perhaps the high point of his tenure came in the final game of the 2023/24 campaign when United got the better of great rivals City at Wembley in the FA Cup final. That win made it two pieces of silverware in two seasons for Ten Hag but more than the win, it was the style and deserved nature of it that persuaded the club’s hierarchy to stick with him.

Not only did they stick with him but, as they have throughout his time at the club, they backed him in the transfer market. There was a net spend of around £100m, with four big-money signings, plus a fifth for over £10m. In many ways these additions tell the tale of Ten Hag’s time at Old Trafford, because many of them had ties to the Dutchman and none of them have worked!

It is, of course, early days to judge players brought in during the summer. But it is not too early to judge the manager. He joined United in April 2022, so has had over two and a half years to try and get things right. In modern terms, that is an eternity, and yet the club, despite the vast spend the Dutchman oversaw, look further away from a title challenge than ever.

Things Weren’t Going Terribly Well…

The Red Devils lost the day before the manager got the boot, going down 2-1 to West Ham. That saw the Hammers leapfrog them, United dropping down to 14th after nine games. With almost a quarter of the season gone they were just one place and a couple of points better off than newly promoted Leicester and as close to the relegation zone as they were to fourth place.

They had won just three of their nine Premier League matches, whilst in the Europa League they were winless in three and sat well outside the top eight. Moreover, they were plagued by the same issues that have troubled them during the Dutch manager’s tenure, issues he seemed to have done nothing to fix.

They cannot press, offer very little threat or cohesion in attack, do not appear to have a playing style and, more than anything else, concede far, far too many shots and chances to opponents. West Ham, who were themselves struggling heading into what proved to be Ten Hag’s final game in the United dugout, mustered an xG of exactly three.

Failed Transfers a Huge Part of the Problem

As noted, United have backed Ten Hag in the market but so few of his signings have proved their worth. He brought in several players from his former club Ajax, as well as others that were represented by his own agent, Kees Vos, or deals where he was involved. At least five of his signings were former players, with several more having played in the Eredivisie.

It is well known that the leap from Dutch football to the Premier League is big and whilst many players can successfully make the transition, over the years so many have failed. Looking good in the Netherlands is one thing, but performing against the best players in the world in the pace of the Premier League is another.

The signing most singled out is that of Antony, brought in from Ten Hag’s former club, Ajax, for a massive fee of £82m plus potential add-ons. That made him the club’s third-most expensive signing and he has achieved so little. To date he has managed just 12 goals in 87 matches for the Red Devils. In the league, he has just five goals and a mere three assists from 56 games and that is simply not good enough.

The issue for Ten Hag is that almost all the players he has brought in, such as Rasmus Hojlund, Mason Mount and Casemiro have not worked out. There are many others we could list, whilst the hits are non-existent really. Moreover, these are players signed for huge fees, on massive wages.

What Next for the Reds?

It is now well over 10 years since Sir Alex Ferguson managed his last game and United continue to go backwards. The gap to City, Liverpool and Arsenal looks bigger than ever, whilst even challenging alongside Villa, Chelsea, Spurs and Newcastle looks a push. And in fact you can even add Brighton to that list too.

United have not won the title for over a decade – even if José Mourinho dreams of retrospective glory should City be punished for breaching Profit & Sustainability rules. David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and now Ten Hag (plus two caretakers and an interim manager) have come and gone, and the Red Devils have gone backwards.

For now former striker, Ruud van Nistelrooy, is in charge – so you can make that three caretakers – but it seems the club are keen to act swiftly to appoint a new permanent manager. They have tried so many different approaches without success but this will be the first appointment since Jim Ratcliffe’s involvement with the club and it is hoped that the new team will do better than their predecessors.

Rúben Amorim?

The earliest rumours suggest that Sporting Lisbon boss, Rúben Amorim, who was strongly linked with Liverpool, could be the new boss. The 39-year-old has been heavily backed but next-manager betting is notoriously volatile, so we cannot necessarily read too much into that. Xavi Hernandez, Gareth Southgate, Thomas Frank and Graham Potter are just some of the other names being bandied about.

Amorim would be a bold appointment but a risk, but given where United are it is almost the case that they have very little to lose. His work with Sporting has been outstanding but he is relatively inexperienced. United need to get this next appointment right or their wait for glory will go on and on and on.