Manchester United sacked manager Erik ten Hag on Monday after a disastrous start to the season with former Red Devils striker Ruud van Nistelrooy named interim boss.
United dropped to a lowly 14th in the table after suffering their fourth defeat in nine league games at West Ham on Sunday and have won only one of their last eight games in all competitions.
They are also 21st of 36 teams in the Europa League table, having drawn their three opening fixtures.
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Ruben Amorim, who is currently in charge of Sporting Lisbon, is close to agreeing a deal to take over at Old Trafford, according to multiple reports in the UK press.
“Erik ten Hag has left his role as Manchester United men’s first-team manager,” said a club statement.
“Erik was appointed in April 2022 and led the club to two domestic trophies, winning the Carabao (League) 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.”
United added Van Nistelrooy, who returned to the club as Ten Hag’s assistant in July, would now serve as interim manager while they went in search of a new full-time boss.
Ten Hag’s position had been repeatedly called into question after United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe kept him on board after an internal review at the end of last season when the club finished eighth in the Premier League.
The 54-year-old was even rewarded with a one-year extension of his contract to June 2026 after a shock FA Cup final victory over rivals Manchester City in May.
Former Ajax boss Ten Hag, who joined United in May 2022, had fiercely defended his record in recent weeks after winning two trophies in his two full seasons in charge.
United ended a six-year wait for silverware by beating Newcastle in the 2023 League Cup final.
– FA Cup reprieve –
The Red Devils also reached the FA Cup final and finished third in the Premier League in an encouraging debut season for Ten Hag.
However, the wheels came off in his second season as injuries to key players, the lack of a meaningful impact from big money signings and Ten Hag’s failure to implement a clear style of play led to a number of embarrassing results.
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United crashed out of the Champions League at the group stage after defeats by Galatasaray and FC Copenhagen, while Bournemouth, Brighton and Fulham were among the other sides to win at Old Trafford in the 2023/2024 campaign.
The implementation of a new sporting structure at United, spearheaded by Ratcliffe, saw widespread change over recent months off the field with the appointment of a new chief executive, sporting director and technical director.
But Ten Hag’s surprise victory over Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering City side at Wembley in the FA Cup final, saw him handed a stay of execution.
He was further backed in the transfer market with the signings of Joshua Zirkzee, Manuel Ugarte, Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui taking the total spent in his reign to over £600 million (A$1.2bn), nearly half of which went on former Ajax players.
Yet, there was no improvement in United’s fortunes as Liverpool and Tottenham coasted to 3-0 wins at Old Trafford in September.
– ‘Unacceptable’ –
Former United captain Gary Neville said Ten Hag had paid the price for an “unacceptable” league position.
“The big shock for me is how bad they’ve been with the new signings that have come in,” Neville told Sky Sports.
He added: “The fact that they are 14th is unacceptable. You can’t be in 14th after nine or 10 games with the level of spend that’s occurred without being under significant pressure — and that’s what’s happened.”
Alan Shearer said ten Hag had been a “dead man walking” after it emerged Manchester United had sounded out other managers in pre-season about the possibility of taking over at Old Trafford.
“We were just waiting for it to happen,” said former England striker Shearer. “Even the way he was talking that ‘we’re all on the same page’.
“Well, they weren’t really on the same page because everyone knew they were talking to (other) managers in the summer.
“If they’re on the same page why on earth are they speaking to managers in the summer? As soon as that came out we all said he was a dead man walking, unfortunately.”
Rio Ferdinand compared ten Hag’s time as manager to a boxer getting “knocked down” and “never recovering”.
“They kept the man in charge, season kicks in, I actually thought we were starting to see some new signs in the first two or three games, and then we get beat by Liverpool and never recovered.
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“It was like a boxer getting hit and knocked down in the third round and never recovering and getting knocked out, knocked down, every single round on the way to the 12th round.
“And finally, we’re here. The fight’s been called off in the last round for the manager.”
Former England manager Gareth Southgate and ex-Barcelona coach Xavi are among the leading contenders to take charge at Old Trafford.
For all Ten Hag’s faults, he oversaw just a small period of United’s more general decline since legendary former manager Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.
Since the Scot’s departure, five permanent managers have now been dismissed without United even challenging for the Premier League title — a trophy they won 13 times under Ferguson.
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Ruben Amorim (Sporting)
Amorim, who is currently in charge of Sporting Lisbon, is close to agreeing a deal to take over at Old Trafford, according to Sky Sports, The Sun, the Daily Mail and the Athletic among other media outlets.
Amorim, 39, is considered one of Europe’s leading young coaches. He was widely linked with the manager’s role at Liverpool following the departure of Jurgen Klopp this year, but Dutch coach Arne Slot headed to Anfield instead.
Amorim also held talks about replacing David Moyes at Premier League club West Ham, before later apologising for the timing.Amorim was just 36 when he led Sporting to a first league title in 19 years in 2021 and he won his second with the club last season.
Gareth Southgate (unattached)
Fresh from leading England to a second consecutive final of the Euros, Southgate is available after ending his eight-year reign in charge of the Three Lions in July.
The 54-year-old’s impact in turning his nation into a force again at major tournaments has reportedly gained him admirers among United’s new leadership group, including co-owner Jim Ratcliffe.
However, Southgate has not managed at club level since a spell at Middlesbrough between 2006 and 2009.
Although widely acclaimed for changing the wider culture around the England team’s relationship with the media and supporters, Southgate’s tactical nous was often questioned during his time in international football.
But he has previously worked with some of the big names Ten Hag struggled to get the best out of at Old Trafford in Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, Mason Mount and Marcus Rashford.
Thomas Frank (Brentford)
The Brentford boss was on the visitors’ bench for Ten Hag’s final home game that ended in a 2-1 United victory.
But with far more meagre resources, the Dane has the Bees sitting ninth in the Premier League table, two points above United.
Frank has been in charge of Brentford for six years, leading them to the Premier League for the first time in 2021 and establishing the London club in the top-flight despite often having to sell his star players.
Graham Potter (unattached)
Potter has been out of work since being sacked by Chelsea in April 2023. His struggle to cope with the demands of a top club during an ill-fated seven months at Stamford Bridge will count against the Englishman.
However, he was a rising star of the Premier League prior to that appointment for the attractive brand of football he instilled at Brighton.
Potter was previously linked with taking over at French club Nice, who are also owned by Ratcliffe’s INEOS sports group.
Xavi (unattached)
United officials reportedly held talks with the former Barcelona boss last week. The legendary former midfielder left the club where he made his name as a player at the end of last season following disagreements with the Barca hierarchy.
He defied the Catalan giants’ financial restrictions to win La Liga in 2022/23 and took them to the quarter-finals of last season’s Champions League.
Should he succeed Ten Hag it would set up an intriguing battle with his former mentor, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola.
Simone Inzaghi (Inter Milan)
Inzaghi has also been linked to the United job, with the 48-year-old Italian earning a reputation as a skillful tactician in his homeland after leading Inter to the Serie A title last season and the Champions League final in 2023.
According to reports in Italy, Inzaghi has been studying to improve his English in the expectation he will one day manage in the Premier League.
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