Erik ten Hag sacked by Manchester United after two-and-a-half years as manager

Manchester United have sacked manager Erik ten Hag.

Ruud van Nistelrooy will take charge of the team as interim head coach while a permanent head coach is recruited.

The decision to sack Ten Hag by Manchester United's hierarchy has been described as 'difficult and finely balanced'.

However, it is understood that the decision by the club's board, made in the wake of the controversial 2-1 defeat at West Ham on Sunday, was unanimous.

Crucially, it was felt that the club's on-field results have not been good enough.

In contrast to the comments from Ten Hag, the hierarchy did not see the team on the right path and felt there are no excuses for the position United are in. They have won just four of their 14 games this season.

Van Nistelrooy is seen as a short-term solution until a permanent manager is found.

"We are grateful to Erik for everything he has done during his time with us and wish him well for the future," United said in a short statement.

Ten Hag leaves United 14th in the Premier League as his two-and-a-half-year spell comes to an end.

The 54-year-old former Ajax boss had been backed by new co-owners INEOS in the summer with a contract extension until June 2026.

That came despite the group initially speaking to a number of other candidates to replace him on the back of an eighth-placed finish in the Premier League, their worst top-flight position since 1990.

The club sanctioned around £200m of spending in the summer transfer window, but United's underwhelming start to the new campaign has now seen the manager pay the price for their patchy form.

Source: Sky Sports