Manchester United have decided to part ways with manager Erik Ten Hag after almost two and a half seasons. Manchester United are working on making Ruud Van Nistelrooy interim manager and retaining the backroom staff.
How it Got Here
Erik Ten Hag was first appointed as manager of Manchester United on April 21st, 2022 and he left his role at Ajax early on May 16th, 2022 to start working as the Manchester United manager. Ten Hag’s tenure has been marked with disappointment and a lack of identity on the pitch. Ten Hag became the first Manchester United manager to lose his first two games since 1921. However, he would manage to lead the team to a third place finish which would give them Champions League football the following season. He also led Manchester United to an EFL Trophy victory, beating Newcastle United 2-0 in the final and delivering Manchester United their first trophy since 2017. The following season was not as the previous with the club finishing eighth place, their worst finish since the 89-90 season. The club also finished fourth in their Champions League group, meaning they were out of Europe entirely. Despite the league and continental struggles, Manchester United won the FA Cup against local rivals Manchester City earning Ten Hag his second major trophy with the club.
Erik Ten Hag had very public spats against players namely Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho. This led to some resentment or frustration from the fanbase, as both players were viewed as game changers and dynamic attacking players that could make the difference in a game. Not only that, but Ronaldo is viewed as a club legend and some feel should have been treated with more respect by Erik Ten Hag.
All of this became too much for new owners INEOS who had decided to keep Ten Hag in the summer, and trigger a one year extension that would see his contract expire in 2026.
What’s Next for Manchester United
Ruud Van Nistelrooy will become the new manager on an interim basis, and will look to turn things around following a start that sees them sit 14th in the Premier League and three points from three games in the Europa League. Manchester United will also likely start the process for finding a new manager with Van Nistelrooy sure to be on the shortlist. Two managers who had previously been linked with the club, Mauricio Pochettino and Thomas Tuchel, both took international management positions with the USMNT and England respectively, ruling out those two for the job. Manchester United may keep Van Nistelrooy in his interim role until the end of the season and then hire a manager after the season concludes. Potential candidates include former England manager Gareth Southgate, football icon Zindedine Zidane, former Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri, and current Stuttgart manager Sebastian Hoeness.
Van Nistelrooy will have very little time to get positive results as the club sit in 14th and need to start getting positive results if they want to make a push for continental competitions next season.
