Manchester United

Former Premier League striker Chris Sutton does not believe that Erik ten Hag was "overwhelmed" by the Manchester United job but "there has been a massive regression" since their first season under the Dutchman.

"I don't think it has overwhelmed him," Sutton told the BBC Radio 5 Live Monday Night Club. "But I think some of his post-match press conferences were delusional towards the end as he was seeing a totally different game to what everyone else was.

"He did well first season and we all have sympathy for the mess he took over. It was toxic when he went in and I'm not sure it is much better now.

"He had the problems with Ronaldo, was undermined by Jadon Sancho and had issues with Marcus Rashford. So he has had a lot to contend with.

"But is all comes down to supporters seeing progress on the pitch. There was in the first season but there has been a massive regression and the fact that he has spent a massive amount of money comes into the equation."

Listen to the Monday Night Club on BBC Sounds

Is Manchester United an attractive job anymore?

Former United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel, Chris Sutton, and Mark Ogden joined BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club to discuss who will take the Old Trafford job next.

"I think it is an attractive job, the playing staff isn't terrible, there just isn't a structure that can be leaned upon," said Schmeichel. "Are we pressing? Are we keeping the ball? Someone who spends all their time on the training pitch, I think that is a good idea."

Ogden added: "At some point someone is going to have to come in with the confidence that they can turn the big club around."

Listen to the Monday Night Club on BBC Sounds

Sporting boss Ruben Amorim has agreed to become the next Manchester United manager following the sacking of Erik ten Hag on Monday. (Manchester Evening News), external

Alternatively, former Borussia Dortmund manager Edin Terzic is top of Manchester United's targets, after Thomas Tuchel was appointed England boss. (Sun), external

Brentford manager Thomas Frank is among the candidates Manchester United are considering to replace Ten Hag. (ESPN), external

The Red Devils have identified a shortlist of about five managers who could replace Ten Hag. (Sky Sports), external

United have not ruled out making an approach for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, with the club potentially restricted to appointing a free agent. (Manchester Evening News), external

Manchester United are interested in Sporting's 17-year-old Portuguese midfielder Geovany Quenda. (A Bola - in Portuguese), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

We asked for your views on Manchester United parting ways with Erik ten Hag. Below are some of your responses on his dismissal and potential replacements.

You can also listen to a special episode of BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast about Monday's news from Old Trafford.

James: I'm ultimately sad. I think it won't drastically change anything. I do think it had to happen - and with Arne Slot doing great, it already suggests with the right manager, tactics work. Yet it's not that simple, Liverpool's squad has been the same for years - United keep changing squad with managers. I want to see more long-term consistent transfers.

Michael: As a United fan for over 60 years, I have witnessed the great times and the not so great, but since the appointment of Ten Hag, I have never seen a team so devoid of a game plan, a style of play or any sort of positive leadership. The recruitment of players has been appalling. We've become the laughing stock of the Premier League.

John: About time! He should have been sacked in the summer. The manager of Manchester United has to understand the culture and history of the club. Ruud understands the club and can give us a lift - let's get behind him until the end of the season.

Jan: Sadly it's long overdue. His choice of players have not always been best for Utd. So inconsistent, has he played the same team two weeks running? I doubt it. I feel the players can't be blame free, at times they've really looked as though they can't be bothered. Hopefully we will begin to see changes for the better. Fingers crossed.

Liam: He brought players into the club that left me scratching my head. Martinez was one of the good buys. But the rest have not performed. Real Madrid must have been laughing all the way to the bank after they sold Casemiro to United! The players he bought this summer just gone? They even have difficulty running! Hojlund is very reluctant to score.

Susan: Personally I would appoint Edin Terzic. He's young, available and good with the young players. He did great with Borussia Dortmund getting them to the Champions League final. He would work well with the hierarchy at United. He would easily adopt to the modern way clubs run, with the club choosing the players and he would get them to play. Perfect.

First game: Erik ten Hag took charge of his first competitive game for Man Utd, a 2-1 loss to Brighton at Old Trafford in August 2022. His first win came two games later, a 2-1 home victory against Liverpool.

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Derby defeats: United lost a Manchester derby 6-3 at Etihad Stadium in October 2022, with City duo Erling Haaland and Phil Foden both scoring hat-tricks. Later on in the season, the Red Devils suffered a humiliating 7-0 defeat by Liverpool.

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Notable fallouts: Ten Hag had high-profile fallouts with Jadon Sancho and Cristiano Ronaldo, with Ronaldo leaving the club by mutual agreement in November 2022.

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First trophy: United won the Carabao Cup in February 2023, beating Newcastle 2-0 in the final at Wembley. They went on to finish third in the Premier League.

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2023-24: United finished eighth in the Premier League, were knocked out in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup and were bottom of their Champions League group. But they ended the season with silverware - winning the FA Cup after a 2-1 victory against Manchester City in the final.

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The bubble bursts: Ten Hag's reign came to an end after Sunday's 2-1 loss to West Ham - a result which left them 14th in the Premier League, while they have drawn their first three Europa League fixtures.

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Manchester United players have been reacting to the sacking of Erik ten Hag earlier on Monday on social media.

Kobbie Mainoo: "Thank you for your trust and belief in me and for giving me the opportunity to play for my boyhood club. I wish you all the best for the future."

Alejandro Garnacho: "Thank you for everything, boss. I will always be grateful to you for giving me the opportunity and the confidence to play for this club. It hasn't gone as well as we wanted, but I will remember the good times we had together and I wish you all the best in the future. Thank you very much Erik."

Lisandro Martinez: "Thanks for the trust you placed in me, coach. It's not the ending we hoped for, and we're really feeling it because responsibility is always shared. But we hold onto the great memories of Wembley and your passion for United. Good luck and every success in the future."

Rasmus Hojlund: "Thanks for everything boss. Wish you all the best in the future."

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Manchester United attempted a lot of shots under Erik ten Hag - more per game than under any other manager since Sir Alex Ferguson stepped down in 2013.

But the conversion of those chances proved a real issue, with United's record in that metric lower under Ten Hag than any other manager post-Ferguson.

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Only Ipswich Town (47 minutes and nine seconds) have been in the lead in matches for less time in the Premier League this season than Manchester United (108 minutes and five seconds).

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Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville spoke to Sky Sports News about Erik ten Hag's departure from Manchester United: "I felt as though they would have enough to be able to get a decent level of performance together after a smoother transfer window, and that Erik ten Hag would get a level of stability.

"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.

"I was hoping it would end differently. I think Manchester United fans were hoping that the manager would continue to keep his job and the faith shown in him in the summer would pay off. But it's not been the case."

Neville's former team-mate Rio Ferdinand, speaking on his YouTube channel: "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.

"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 and I think now we're going to go for a new direction."

The newest episode of BBC Radio Manchester's The Devils' Advocate podcast has just been released.

Gaz Drinkwater and Joe McGrath are joined by Rich Fay as they discuss Erik ten Hag's departure, what they feel went wrong during the Dutchman's tenure at the club and who they think is the best replacement.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Phil McNulty
Chief football writer

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Manchester United's decision to sack Erik ten Hag is the correct one - but only highlights the folly of the decision to reluctantly keep faith with him in the summer.

Once clubs start talking to other managers, as Manchester United did, it is obvious they do not have full trust in the incumbent and the credits are rolling unless they pull out a remarkable run of results. The opposite leaves them only one game away from a crisis.

And Ten Hag is a classic example.

The dysfunction at the heart of Old Trafford meant they not only kept Ten Hag but extended his contract and then allowed him bring in more players he knew without any improvement, such as Joshua Zirkzee, Matthijs de Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui and latterly Manuel Ugarte from Paris St-Germain.

And the appalling decision, both in the financial and football context, to pay £82m for Antony, who Ten Hag also knew from his time at Ajax, was a millstone around the neck of the club and manager.

It has been a catalogue of errors and misplaced faith, matched by poor results that led to today's dismissal of Ten Hag.

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Spanish football journalist Guillem Balague does not think Xavi is the right calibre of manager for the Manchester United job, despite having been linked with it in recent weeks.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live about the former Barcelona boss following Erik ten Hag's departure from Old Trafford, Balague said: "When Xavi left Barcelona he felt burned out because it is a tough job as we all know. His idea was to take some time off and relax, but all of a sudden there has been interest from the Premier League.

"He has not been interviewed by Manchester United though.

"It would be an amazing job to have but I do not believe he should be an automatic choice from United.

"He doesn't have a lot of experience abroad but if we waited for managers to have experience in the Premier League then they would never get there.

"It would be a leap of faith from Xavi and I don't think he is the calibre that they need or are looking for. It would require a complete transformation of the squad as his style is different.

"The answer to Manchester United, in my opinion, is already there and it is Ruud van Nistelrooy."

Listen to Balague discuss Xavi on BBC Sounds' Football Daily

We asked for your views on Erik ten Hag's departure from Old Trafford.

Here are some of your comments:

Pip: Sadly Ten Hag was unable to improve on last year's very average performances and it has cost him his job. He was supported in the transfer window and nothing has changed. He was out of his depth and unfortunately for him, sacking him was the right decision.

Brandon: Erik Ten Hag was ultimately a disgrace. They spent valuable money on flop players and they came away with shocking results. They have been getting embarrassed every match and they have no excuses. I expected more.

Chris: A bit sad for Ten Hag. He's been no better and no worse than most of his predecessors. I loved Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and I think United need to learn to play with a smile on their faces. It's all a bit grim at the moment.

Paul: Ten Hag had run out of time. A lack of playing style or identity cannot run into three seasons and performances are just not good enough.

Olusola: It's been difficult to discern any pattern of play in this United team. Poor result after poor result and all you get from the manager are the same untenable excuses. His choice of players is questionable as he appears only comfortable with players that have played previously for him. His sacking is long overdue.

Tony: It was definitely his team after £600m spent. The lack of goals and no recognisable style of play have seen him off. Being 14th in the league after nine games is not acceptable and although the board delayed their decision in the summer, at least they have acted swiftly now to get us back on track.

Matthew: Ten Hag was fortunate to have lasted as long as he did. The post Sir Alex era, on the whole, has been a consistent trend of poor management choices in both managers and players that are not remotely what you relate with Manchester United. Kieran McKenna is a young manager who knows the club and plays good football.

Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist

Erik ten Hag's turbulent Manchester United reign has finally come to an end.

The Manchester United ownership have decided to pull the plug on the Dutchman's time in charge following a controversial 2-1 defeat by West Ham United in the Premier League on Sunday.

It comes amidst a torrid start to the 2024-25 campaign that sees the Red Devils sitting 14th in the league table.

In the summer, it appeared Ten Hag had already been given a stay of execution after new co-owners Ineos had reportedly spoken to potential candidates before giving the former Ajax boss a new contract.

However, the result at the weekend looks to have been the final straw.

But are the club right to cut ties with Ten Hag?

Across all competitions in his 850 days in charge, the 54-year-old has managed 128 games and won 72 of those, leaving him with a win percentage of 56%.

Among the six managers to have taken charge on a permanent or interim basis since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement, Ten Hag's win percentage has him second only behind Jose Mourinho (58%).

His 56% is above Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (55%), Louis van Gaal (52%), David Moyes (51%) and Ralf Rangnick (37%).

When comparing his record in the Premier League to those former managers, it is a less pleasant picture for the Dutchman.

His points per game record of 1.72 ranks him below Mourinho (1.89), Solskjaer (1.81) and Van Gaal (1.79).

In fact, according to Opta, his goals per game record in the league of 1.45 is only above Ragnick's 1.38, while his goals conceded per game figure of 1.32 is only below that of the German's 1.32.

He also tops the rankings among the six for number of shots faced per-game with 14.74.

With these numbers during his spell, it may be somewhat surprising to find that, in a Premier League Table since the beginning of 2022-23, Manchester United would be sitting fifth with 146 points - just one behind high-flying Aston Villa.

Ten Hag's time in charge hasn't been without it's success - a Carabao Cup and FA Cup in successive seasons is not to be sniffed at - but it seems the inconsistency and apparent lack of progress under the Dutchman has ultimately cost him his job.

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Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has posted on Instagram following news that Erik ten Hag has left his position as manager at Old Trafford.

Accompanied by an image of the pair lifting the FA Cup together at the end of last season, the Portugal international midfielder said: "Thanks for everything boss! I appreciate the trust and the moments we share together, I wish you all the best in the future.

"Even knowing the last period hasn't been great from all of us, I hope you fans can keep with you the good things the manager has done for our club!"

Read live updates following Erik ten Hag's exit from Manchester United

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Football writer Henry Winter on X, external: "Erik ten Hag had to go. He would have been long gone at another club with less patient fans.

"Manchester United were going nowhere under him. The team lacked identity, balance, belief and direction. Recruits he pushed for haven't yet delivered.

"Ten Hag voiced frustrations over injuries and refereeing decisions but all managers have that to varying degrees. Likeable guy, a fascinating interviewee when relaxed but lacked the natural authority to be a United manager."

Send us your thoughts on Ten Hag's exit and who you think should be the next Manchester United manager, external