Manchester United announced this Monday the dismissal of Erik Ten Hag as its coach, after this Sunday’s defeat against West Ham United, which leaves the team in fourteenth position in the Premier League with eleven points after nine games played. Ten Hag, who joined the club in April 2022, won a League Cup, United’s first title in five years, and an FA Cup in his two seasons in charge.
This latest success saved him from dismissal last summer, after completing United’s worst Premier League campaign, in which they finished eighth. This season has not started in a better way and United only has eleven points out of a possible 27 in the Premier and has not won any of its three matches in the Europa League, against Twente, Porto and Fenerbahçe.
The situation had become critical in the team after the 2-1 defeat against West Ham, which has meant that United has only won one of its last eight games and is seven points above the relegation zone , seven away from the Champions League and twelve behind the leader, Manchester City. “We are very grateful to Erik for everything he has done during his time with us and we wish him the best in the future,” United said in a statement. Pending the hiring of a permanent coach, the Dutchman Ruud van Nistelrooy, until now Ten Hag’s second, will assume the duties of interim coach. United will have to pay 16 million pounds (19 million euros).
