Manchester United axe Erik ten Hag after loss to West Ham

Following Sunday’s 2-1 loss at West Ham, Manchester United have sacked Erik ten Hag after two and a half years in charge of the Old Trafford outfit, becoming the first managerial casualty of the 2024/25 Premier League campaign.

The erstwhile Ajax boss was informed of the club’s decision on Monday morning and the club are now working on steps to announce former striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, to take charge on an interim basis with the rest of the management staff remaining in position for now.

Sunday’s defeat was the Red Devils’ fourth in nine Premier League matches, having lost to Brighton, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspurs after just three league wins from nine games and only four in 14 in all competitions.

Ten Hag was allowed to continue as the club’s manager in the summer after an end-of-the-season assessment, after leading the Premier League record winners to an eighth-place finish – the club’s lowest since 1990, and defeating rivals Manchester City in the FA Cup final.

United triggered a one-year extension option in the 54-year-old’s contract at the start of July. His previous deal, which he signed when he was appointed in 2022, was due to expire in 2025.

But another underwhelming run of form which has left the club 14th in the table, seven points off the Champions League qualification spots in the new season has prompted the club’s key decision-makers to recommend a change.

The 54-year-old Dutchman guided the Red Devils to a third-place finish in his first season and also helped them conquer Newcastle in the final of the Carabao Cup at Wembley.

However, the club struggled domestically and in Europe, suffering a group-stage exit from the Champions League, and only qualified for this season’s Europa League after beating Manchester City in the FA Cup final. Manchester United’s next game is on Wednesday, Wednesday, against Leicester City in the EFL Cup.