Even in glory, Erik ten Hag showed why Man Utd had to sack him

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It says much about Manchester United's decision on Monday to sack Erik ten Hag, as well as the club's longstanding indecision, that even the Dutch coach's big win offered reasons for a move. In the days leading up to the FA Cup final in May, the Dutch coach insisted he was going head-to-head with Manchester City. Only after hours of internal debate led by Darren Fletcher did Ten Hag give in. He had to be told to use a different tactic.

United continued to stick with the coach, even though the decision to change was largely made before the final. This attitude was reflected in the fact that in the following weeks they essentially interviewed Ten Hag for his own job, a first major step by the new Ineos football leadership. It immediately undermined another season. United's multi-headed hierarchy ultimately couldn't decide on the right replacement, which remains a problem. This, along with the initial emotion from fans, was the only reason the decision was delayed until now.

A senior member of the Ineos hierarchy is known to have said, “I told you this would happen,” at key meetings focused on what would happen next.

The comment that was constantly made inside and outside the club was that “no one can understand why Ten Hag is still there”. It went beyond that and even further back. Already last November 2023, opposing managers were secretly criticizing Ten Hag and talking about how easy it was to play against United. One very experienced coach even used the description of “cheating” in the classic football sacking of a manager deemed incompetent. He wasn't the only one.

That's harsh considering what Ten Hag did at Ajax, but there is a significant difference between a club that was so well run before multiple departures and the chaos at United. This difference has been emphasized in the current problems.

Ten Hag was never able to push through a real football idea or even make it clear what he really wanted. Not least to the players. There was only a brief period when United looked exciting or like a proper team, and that was the few months that culminated in the 2023 League Cup final. The 2-0 was pretty much everything. It was 18 months of poor results and often worse performance.

Over this time, players became increasingly confused about tactics and decisions. The training sessions were long and boring, and there were constant questions about whether their intensity contributed to physical decline and even injury. Some members of the crew were not only overworked, but also simply bored. Many are now considered to be “relieved” – some much more than others.

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Certain players specifically blamed Ten Hag's usage and positioning for their own losses in form. Marcus Rashford is an obvious example. His role was changed at the start of the 2023–24 season to deputize for Luke Shaw, despite enjoying one of his best seasons ever in 2022–23.

It should be emphasized that most players had no problem with Ten Hag personally. Although there was constant talk of a lack of charisma, that wasn't entirely the problem. They were simply amazed by many of his purely footballing attitudes. Equally disturbing was when Ten Hag appeared to be “throwing players under the table” after defeats, although this was largely due to the language barrier.

For this reason, a discussion of the Ten Hag period is not a mere postmortem, since it was viewed as a zombie regime for so long. The decision was only a matter of time, although insiders insist Ineos was unprepared for how poorly this season has gone.

In this way, Ten Hag represents the end of an era in a different way. He is the latest appointment after Sir Alex Ferguson Glazer, marking the nadir of a trend of consistently picking the wrong coach. United urgently need an end to this now.

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This puts new pressure on Ineos, which hasn't exactly encouraged a change of direction. Instead, there was confusion about which path they were even taking. Decision making was too staggered and there were too many voices. Although chief executive Omar Berrada and technical director Dan Ashworth were not present when the initial decision on Ten Hag was made in June, one of the reasons the club is here now is the last major call involving the senior duo . This meeting in early October, at which Ten Hag's dismissal was widely expected, lasted several hours because Ratcliffe specifically asked the various chiefs to present detailed arguments for various contingencies. The process only led to more delays as the question of a successor arose again.

That's probably what's bothering United the most at the moment. While they hesitated, they let a number of suitable candidates leave for other jobs, from Mauricio Pochettino to Thomas Tuchel. The German's timing is all the more remarkable given that he has only just agreed to go with England, suggesting wastefulness.

It definitely feels like another season was needlessly written off. Ineos employees privately admit that there were “missteps.”

When it comes to possible names for next steps, however, a similar concern is that the coaches they've pursued don't look alike. Ruben Amorim, Thomas Frank and – far less likely – Xavi Hernandez have completely different profiles. It does not correspond to the unified identity that the new football leadership is supposed to express.

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Other Ineos decisions made Ten Hag's work more difficult. The cost-cutting, which is most damaging considering that people far from footballer's salaries are losing their jobs, have arrived in the dressing room. Players were stunned to discover the trip to the 2-1 defeat at Brighton involved a smaller plane with propellers. This meant that employees had to travel by bus.

United would emphasize that they make appropriate travel plans for every situation, but such decisions are said to have lowered morale. One insider described it as “the opposite of marginal gains.”

Whatever the broader debates about such policies, ultimately it doesn't help a football team win games.

That was also what Ten Hag struggled with the most. His dismal 14th-placed record is all the more ironic considering he is one of the most successful modern managers in terms of trophies. Ten Hag will always have a League Cup and FA Cup to their name. But at the same time, this is why everyone else could point to falling standards. The domestic trophies are just supposed to be a bonus for United. The club is supposedly aiming for the biggest titles, the Premier League and the Champions League.

They are currently looking further away from this than ever before. This is due both to Ten Hag and, as has been the case for years, to much larger problems at the club.

Ineos must now show the clarity that has been missing in recent months as well as good performance.