Erik ten Hag has been sacked as Manchester United manager following their 2-1 Premier League defeat to West Ham United, the Red Devils have confirmed.
The Dutchman leaves his post a little over two years on from joining from Ajax as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's permanent successor, winning one EFL Cup and one FA Cup during his time at Old Trafford.
Ten Hag also oversaw a sorry run of top-flight performances at the helm, though, as Man United made their worst-ever start to a Premier League season in the current campaign and sit 14th in the top-flight standings.
The former Ajax head coach was given a stay of execution by Sir Jim Ratcliffe over the summer after leading Man United to an unexpected FA Cup final win over Manchester City, earning himself a contract extension in the process.
However, with Man United showing no serious signs of progression on the pitch after another summer of significant investment, the Red Devils have finally wielded the axe and removed Ten Hag from his post.
Ruud van Nistelrooy to take temporary charge of Man United
© Imago
Man United confirmed the news in a short, sharp statement on Monday morning, in which they also confirmed that Ruud van Nistelrooy would take temporary charge of the first team while they sought a new permanent boss.
"Erik ten Hag has left his role as Manchester United men's first-team manager. 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," the club said.
"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."
Ten Hag is understood to have been informed of his fate on Monday morning following the gut-wrenching defeat to West Ham, and he departs with a record of 72 wins, 20 draws and 36 losses from 128 games in charge.
The 54-year-old ended a club trophy drought stretching all the way back to 2017 by masterminding their EFL Cup success in 2022-23, the same year that they finished third in the Premier League behind Arsenal and Manchester City, but things went downhill from there.
Who could replace Ten Hag after Man United sacking farce?
© Imago
Ten Hag being given the boot by Old Trafford bosses is hardly a surprise, but the timing of his departure may be; the hierarchy's decision to hand him a new deal over the summer rather than sever ties there and then is looking rather foolish now.
We may never know the true reasons for the INEOS regime keeping Ten Hag on the books for as long as they did - surely they could not argue that two cup successes did not just paper over the cracks - but a lack of available successors may very well have been to blame.
A handful of previous candidates have already moved on to pastures new, including Thomas Tuchel and Mauricio Pochettino, while Gareth Southgate is not thought to be in any rush to return to management.
In more recent weeks, former Barcelona head coach Xavi is believed to have emerged as a leading contender to take the Old Trafford reins, while Graham Potter, Massimiliano Allegri, Edin Terzic and Zinedine Zidane are all out of work, although hiring the latter still seems a pipe dream.
Potter and Xavi should be interesting options for the Man United hierarchy to explore, as Van Nistelrooy prepares to take charge of his first game as interim manager on Wednesday night against Leicester City in the EFL Cup.
Ben Knapton
