United View: Erik ten Hag sacked, Ruben Amorim to come in?

Two and a half years after being appointed as Manchester United manager, Erik ten Hag has been dismissed following a 2-1 defeat to West Ham on Sunday.

The Dutchman has been under intense scrutiny for the last 18 months, but after having his contract extended in the summer, he now leaves the club after only winning three of his opening nine games.

When ten Hag was brought to the club, United were in a dire state, and after losing his opening two games in charge to Brighton and Brentford, the manager eventually brought stability. Following the winter World Cup break, his side played some of the best football the club had seen since Sir Alex Ferguson had left.

There were famous wins over Barcelona and Manchester City during that period, culminating with a victory against Newcastle in the League Cup final – United’s first trophy since 2017. For many fans, they felt like they had the right man in charge.

A disastrous second season followed, with the manager having to navigate an injury hit squad, along with the uncertainty of a takeover, with a new ownership sceptical of his management.

Despite United finishing 8th in the Premier League, ten Hag once again provided a historic day for Manchester United, beating Manchester City in the FA Cup Final. Long after the dust has settled on his tenure, these are the moments that will remembered.

After looking for another manager over the past summer, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the new consortium, decided to keep ten Hag in charge, but unfortunately his third season has not seen any progress, and no one can have any complaints about the decision to relive the manager of his duties.

It feels like the right decision, ten Hag had been backed with signings and has a very talented squad, one that has been underperforming. Whilst players will hold their share of the blame, this is not like under Jose Mourinho when players down tools.

The role of Manchester United manager is unlike any other, trying to manage expectations of the most talked about football club in the world needs a special kind of person, one that is diamond-like when it comes to withstanding pressure.

Erik ten Hag had to deal with an absurd amount of off-field antics during his time, from fallouts with Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho, the Mason Greenwood situation, a club takeover and an unprecedented injury crisis. However, he was still unwavering in his belief to turn things around at Old Trafford, even in his final days in charge.

United sit 14th in the Premier League and 21st in the Europa League. It’s not been good enough and the hierarchy of Omar Berrarda, Dan Ashworth and Jason Wilcox all recommended that ten Hag be sacked.

This decision must have been made well in advance, as United wasted no time scouting out a replacement in Ruben Amorim, the current manager of Sporting Lisbon. By all reports the Portuguese manager is open to the move, it’s now down to the two clubs to come to an agreement.

Lisbon have been tremendous under the former Benfica and Braga player, winning their first title in 20 years, securing back-to-back titles last year and winning every game in the Liga Portugal this season.

He’s a well-sought-after coach, with Liverpool showing interest last season, also being touted with replacing Pep Guardiola at City. Should United bring him to Old Trafford, it would be a real coup and a positive move from INEOS, bringing in a potential long-term manager mid-season, rather than waiting until next summer.

It’s a shame it didn’t work for Erik ten Hag, but he will be remembered fondly by fans, as a man who brought trophies to Old Trafford and promoted youth prospects during an unsettling time at the football club. Goodbye Erik and good luck in the future.