Manchester United has announced the dismissal of manager Erik ten Hag following a lackluster start to the 2023-24 season. The decision comes in the wake of United’s 2-1 defeat to West Ham on Sunday, which left the team languishing in 14th place in the Premier League with only three wins from their first nine matches.
In addition to their struggles in the league, United finds itself at the bottom of their Europa League group, sitting 21st out of 36 teams after drawing all three of their opening fixtures. This poor performance prompted club officials to act swiftly, and Ten Hag was informed of the decision during a face-to-face meeting with chief executive Omar Berrada and sporting director Dan Ashworth at the club’s Carrington training ground on Monday morning.
Club sources have emphasized that this was a challenging yet unanimous decision. In response to the news, United captain Bruno Fernandes expressed his appreciation on Instagram, saying, “Thanks for everything, boss. I appreciate the trust and the moments we shared together. I wish you all the best in the future.”
Ten Hag had signed a one-year extension to his contract following the FA Cup final victory over Manchester City in May, but just over three months later, he has been relieved of his duties. The club currently holds its second-lowest points tally in Premier League history after nine games, with only 11 points—an improvement of just one point compared to their performance during the 2019-20 campaign.
Ruud van Nistelrooy, who joined the club as Ten Hag’s assistant last summer, has been appointed as the interim manager while the club searches for a permanent replacement. With this latest change, Manchester United is now on the hunt for its sixth permanent manager since the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.