Ten Hag’s assistant Ruud van Nistelrooy has been appointed interim head coach while the search for a full-time replacement takes place.
In two and a half years at United, Ten Hag won the 2022-23 Carabao Cup and the 2023-24 FA Cup, yet also guided the club to their lowest-ever Premier League finish.
The Dutchman was close to leaving Old Trafford at the end of last season but was given a reprieve after the FA Cup final win and signed a one-year contract extension in a show of faith.
Yet just three wins from the opening nine Premier League games leaves United firmly in the bottom half of the table having won just one of their last eight matches in all competitions.
The decision to remove the Dutchman is understood to have been unanimous across the new group of decision-makers, including chief executive Omar Berrada, sporting director Dan Ashworth and technical director Jason Wilcox.
A United source described Ten Hag’s sacking as a “difficult” decision but insisted there are “no excuses” for the club’s poor performances.
Although Van Nistelrooy will take over on a short-term basis, names linked with the full-time job include ex-Barcelona boss Xavi, Brentford’s Thomas Frank and Sporting Lisbon’s Ruben Amorim.
Previous names connected with the job include new England boss Thomas Tuchel, United States manager Mauricio Pochettino and Gareth Southgate, who recently ruled himself out of the running.
Next Man Utd manager odds
Ruud van Nistelrooy is the favourite with the bookmakers (Photo: Getty)
Ruud van Nistelrooy – 2-5
Ruben Amorim – 3-1
Gareth Southgate – 7-2
Graham Potter – 7-1
Xavi Hernandez – 9-1
Thomas Frank – 10-1
Michael Carrick – 12-1
Kieran McKenna – 14-1
Massimiliano Allegri – 20-1
Zinedine Zidane – 25-1
Simone Inzaghi – 25-1
Roberto De Zerbi – 33-1
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer – 40-1
In a statement confirming the news, the club said: “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.
“We are grateful to Erik for everything he has done during his time with us and wish him well for the future.”
Five games that led to Ten Hag’s sacking
The Dutchman has left Old Trafford after two years in charge (Photo: Getty)
Man Utd 0-3 Bournemouth (Premier League) 9 December 2023
A 2-1 win over Chelsea in early December was arguably United’s best performance of the season to that point and should have been something to build on.
Instead, just three days later they were embarrassed by Andoni Iraola’s Cherries as Bournemouth enjoyed a first victory at Old Trafford – and in some style.
Dominic Solanke opened the scoring five minutes in and then hit a post before further goals from Philip Billing and Marcos Senesi led to boos from many of the United fans that stuck around until the end.
Man Utd 1-2 Fulham (Premier League) 24 February 2024
Confirmation of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s investment into United, and the overhaul of football operations it would bring, had brought a sense of optimism to Old Trafford.
But it took only a few days for United to puncture it with yet another home defeat.
Harry Maguire thought he had earned a point with an 89th-minute equaliser only for United to switch off and allow Alex Iwobi to strike a dramatic stoppage-time winner.
Coventry 3-3 (2-4 pens) Man Utd 3 (FA Cup) 21 April 2024
Even in victory there were alarm bells ringing at Wembley as United reached a second successive FA Cup final.
United were firm favourites against Championship opposition and duly took a 3-0 lead, apparently cruising to victory.
But Coventry scored three goals in the last 20 minutes to force extra-time and even thought they had won it through Victor Torp in the last minute of that period before VAR intervened with an offside decision.
United came through the penalty shoot-out but it was a victory without much honour.
Crystal Palace 4-0 Man Utd (Premier League) 6 May 2024
Perhaps United’s worst day of the season came at Selhurst Park as Palace completed their maiden Premier League double over the Red Devils.
Michael Olise scored twice as Palace overwhelmed a patched-up United defence manned by Jonny Evans and Casemiro.
Defeat left United with only two wins from 10 league games, a run which would ultimately cost them any chance of finishing in the European places.
Man Utd 0-3 Tottenham (Premier League) 29 September 2024
United had been swept aside by bitter rivals Liverpool and dropped points in the Europa League against lowly-ranked Dutch side FC Twente in their two previous games at Old Trafford.
The mood worsened within three minutes of the Premier League clash with Tottenham as centre-back Micky van de Ven dribbled 70 yards through the heart of the United team before crossing for Brennan Johnson to open the scoring.
United captain Bruno Fernandes then saw red before the interval, after which further goals from Dejan Kulusevski and Solanke were the least Spurs deserved in a dominant display as the pressure on Ten Hag intensified.
