Erik ten Hag was dismissed from Manchester United shortly after Jamie O’Hara called for the Premier League club to terminate the Dutch manager’s contract. The 55-year-old was let go from Old Trafford last October, just a day following his team’s 2-1 loss to West Ham at the London Stadium.As the Red Devils gear up to face the east London team on Sunday, this will be their first match since the one that led to Ten Hag’s dismissal after over two years in charge.
The defeat against West Ham marked United’s fourth loss in merely nine league games, placing them in an unsatisfactory 14th position in the standings—a scenario that the club’s leadership could no longer accept. Prior to the decision to remove the former Ajax manager, Sir Jim Ratcliffe had been advised by O’Hara to take such action, as he urged the 13-time Premier League champions to sever ties with him.
During a discussion on Sky Sports, the ex-Tottenham Hotspur midfielder was asked about his stance on Ten Hag, to which he responded decisively. “I’d get rid of him; I would have gotten rid of him three months ago,” he said. “I wouldn’t have given him a contract after the FA Cup, I’d have said, ‘Thanks very much, you’ve finished with a trophy, go out on a high.
“They should have got something from the game today but overall they’ve been poor. I’ve watched them in the Europa League as well and they’ve been poor.” The football pundit’s prediction came to fruition when, less than a day later, Ten Hag was dismissed from Manchester United, as confirmed by the club’s official statement: “We are grateful to Erik for everything he has done during his time with us and wish him well for the future.
“Ruud van Nistelrooy will take charge of the team as interim head coach, supported by the current coaching team, whilst a permanent head coach is recruited.” Despite the managerial shake-up, United’s performance continued to decline, languishing in the bottom half of the table since Christmas and currently positioned at 15th with only three matches remaining.
With his team playing Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final this month, Portuguese manager Ruben Amorim is poised to win a European championship in his first season. Since last year, West Ham United has also had a change in leadership. Julen Lopetegui was fired soon after the team’s 4-1 loss to Manchester City in early January.
Lopetegui was replaced by Graham Potter, a former Chelsea player, but the Hammers have had difficulty turning things around and have only won three of their previous 15 league games, putting them in a precarious 17th position.
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