Manchester United fires coach Erik ten Hag

English Premier League giant Manchester United fired coach Erik ten Hag on Monday after two and a half years at the helm of the traditional club.

The Dutchman was appointed in April 2022 and won the 2023 Carabao Cup and 2024 FA Cup during his tenure.

However, the club failed to qualify for the Champions League, Europe's premier competition, this season and is currently 14th in the Premier League table after suffering its worst start to the season in 35 years.

Ten Hag was informed of the decision less than 24 hours after a 2-1 defeat to West Ham United.

“We are grateful to Erik for everything he has done during his time with us and wish him all the best for the future,” the club said in a statement.

It was said that assistant coach Ruud van Nistelrooy, a striker for the club during their time at the top of English football in the 2000s, will take over as interim head coach while a permanent replacement is hired.

He will be the latest person tasked with turning around the fortunes of the club, which has struggled to regain its former glory since the resignation of its legendary, long-serving coach Sir Alex Ferguson in 2014.

After more than two decades of dominance under the Scot, Man United have gone through a succession of managers in recent years, occasionally winning trophies. But lasting success failed to materialise, with city rivals Manchester City instead dominating the sport, fueled by investment from Abu Dhabi that is now the subject of a court battle – a harsh reality for United fans used to competing for top honors every day fight year.

The appointment of Ten Hag, who has recently coached exciting teams and young players, should breathe new life into the club.

But fans lost faith after two years of uninspiring performances despite a wave of big-money signings. Brazilian winger Antony, a favorite of ten Hag from his time as manager of Dutch giants Ajax, illustrated the coach's failings in the transfer market.

Speculation about Ten Hag's future was fueled when the club's new minority owner, British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, refused to provide assurances in early October.

A fourth defeat this season, in which the former top-scoring team only scored eight times in nine games, sealed the coach's fate.

They will now turn to Van Nistelrooy, a renowned goalscorer in his own right as a player, to try and repeat that success from the touchline.