Manchester Utd sack first team boss Erik ten Hag

Manchester United has confirmed the sacking of its first team men’s coach, Erik ten Hag.

He will be replaced by former United striker, and coaching assistant, Ruud van Nistelroy as interim head coach, supported by the current coaching team, while a permanent head coach is recruited, said the club.

A club statement added: “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.

“We are grateful to Erik for everything he has done during his time with us and wish him well for the future.”

Ten Hag retained his job after winning last season’s FA Cup, beating fierce local rivals Manchester City.

Even then, speculation was rife that he was on the brink of being dismissed following a string of disappointing results.

The then England manager, Gareth Southgate, was the hot tip to replace him in the Old Trafford hot seat, but co-owner, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who joined the board early this year with specific responsibility to focus on the on-field and management personnel, opted to award ten Hag a new contract.

The club announced in July that it had extended ten Hag’s contract until June 2026.

Ten Hag said at the time: “I am very pleased to have reached agreement with the club to continue working together. Looking back at the past two years, we can reflect with pride on two trophies and many examples of progression from where we were when I joined.

“However, we must also be clear that there is still lots of hard work ahead to reach the levels expected of Manchester United, which means challenging for English and European titles.

“In my discussions with the club, we have found complete unity in our vision for reaching those goals, and we are all strongly committed to making that journey together.”

Dan Ashworth, Manchester United sporting director, said: “With two trophies in the past two seasons, Erik has reinforced his record as one of the most consistently successful coaches in European football.

“While the club’s review of last season highlighted areas for improvement, it also reached a clear conclusion that Erik was the best partner for us to work with in driving up standards and outcomes.”

He added: “This group of players and staff have already shown they are capable of competing and winning at the top level – now we need to do it more consistently.

“With our strengthened football leadership team now in place, we are looking forward to working hand-in-hand with Erik to achieve our shared ambitions for this football club.”

United sit at 14th position in the Premier League table, with just three wins from nine league games so far, having lost 2-1 at West Ham yesterday.