S Poddar
Erik ten Hag has left Manchester United after a heartfelt message to the fans in which he wished the club success in finding “success, trophies, and glory.” The 54-year-old Dutchman was sacked as manager after a 2-1 Premier League loss to West Ham. In his place, Sporting CP’s Ruben Amorim is set to step into the role.
Ten Hag celebrated United victories in his two seasons at Old Trafford, but he’s leaving with just two silverware. It was made public through SEG, agents to the dutch gaffer, his appreciation as he left in a statement to the faithful. Ten Hag thanked those fans, who endured equal measures of the team winning and failing together.
“Thank you for always being here for the club,” he said. “Whether the game was far away, at Old Trafford, as in a tough battle with one of the top guns or against a team here that we were not feeling that great about, that unshakeable support would remain.” The atmosphere one gets at Old Trafford was electrifying, he felt.
He also thanked those from the club’s department and said, “To thank everyone in every department, their unending support for ups and downs.”
Appointed in the summer of 2022, Ten Hag was brought on with high expectations, following success at Ajax. In his debut season, he managed to deliver United’s first trophy in six years, claiming the Carabao Cup while also managing a third-place finish in the Premier League. Under him, United won the FA Cup against their bitterest rivals Manchester City in the month of May, where fans got a glimmer of hope and ambition for the team. However, success was not to last as his second season only proved to be stormy, with United performing extremely poorly and even falling down to 14th place in the league by the ninth game of the season 2024-25. As for what the achievement means, Ten Hag said: “We won two trophies – achievements that I will cherish for the rest of my life. Of course, my dream was to add even more trophies to the club’s cabinet, but that dream has now ended.”
He says: “I wish all the Manchester United fans all success, trophies, and glories. I got from everyone connected with the club a feeling of home away from home. Thank you for being part of this chapter in my life.
The club has officially confirmed that the 39-year-old Portuguese coach, Ruben Amorim, will take over as United’s new manager. Amorim, who has been successfully managing Sporting CP in Lisbon, is to join the team at Old Trafford on November 11 with a contract extending until June 2027. This marks a fresh chapter for the club, one the United faithful hope will bring new stability and a return to the club’s winning ways.
Meanwhile, former United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy has agreed to take caretaker manager duties while the Portuguese and his backroom staff officially take over after the next three games.
