Coach Erik Ten Hag was fired by MU

"Ten Hag was appointed in April 2022, helping the team win two domestic titles, the 2023 League Cup and the 2024 FA Cup. We are grateful to Ten Hag for everything he has done for the team and wish him well for the future. Ruud van Nistelrooy will take over as manager, along with his former assistants, while the team looks to appoint a new manager."

Man Utd's announcement was 87 words long, meaning that only Ten Hag was fired, while his assistants continued to work with the team. The club's leadership informed the Dutch coach of this decision this morning, October 28, Manchester time. The announcement was posted early in the afternoon.

According to British newspaperGuardianBillionaire Jim Ratcliffe, the club's largest individual shareholder, made the final decision after discussions with the club's leadership. Ten Hag's old contract with the team expires in the summer of 2026, so the "Red Devils" may have to pay a compensation fee of about 21 million USD to fire the 54-year-old coach.

Ten Hag's last match as Man Utd manager was a 1-2 defeat to West Ham in round 9 of the Premier League yesterday, October 27. The result caused the team to drop to 14th place, the lowest position in the club's history in the Premier League after 9 rounds. In the Europa League, Man Utd is also only ranked 21st after three rounds.

Last season, Man Utd finished eighth, their lowest in the Premier League era. There were rumors that Ten Hag would lose his job, but a win over Man City in the FA Cup final helped him keep his job. But despite spending $232 million on players this summer, the team's results at the start of the 2024-2025 season have not improved.

Man Utd have won four, drawn five and lost five of their 14 games in all competitions since the start of the season. Ten Hag has often said in interviews that the team has not performed as expected due to injuries. In September 2024, CEO Omar Berrada and sporting director Dan Ashworth also said they were patient with Ten Hag, but the defeat to West Ham was the final straw.

Ten Hag, 54, is the fifth permanent manager in the post-Alex Ferguson era, after David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. His win rate is 55.1%, second only to Mourinho.

Van Nistelrooy, 48, scored 150 goals in 219 appearances for Man Utd between 2001 and 2006. He led PSV Eindhoven in the 2022-2023 season, helping the team win the Dutch Cup. Van Nistelrooy was appointed as Man Utd's assistant from the summer of 2024, alongside Rene Hake. At that time, former defender Jamie Carragher predicted that this talented former striker would replace Ten Hag.

Van Nistelrooy's first match as Man Utd coach will take place in the fourth round of the League Cup against visiting team Leicester on the evening of October 30.

Man Utd are targeting many coaches, such as Ruben Amorim from Sporting, Thomas Frank of Brentford or Xavi. Among them, the former Barca coach is free, and also has sympathy for Man Utd. Yesterday, Xavi's wife also posted a photo on social media, a picture of her son wearing a Man Utd shirt.