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From Liverpool to West Ham through Galatasaray, these are the seven matches that doomed Erik Ten Hag at Manchester United
After two years at Manchester United, Erik ten Hag’s time as manager came to an end amid mounting struggles on the pitch.
Despite securing the Carabao Cup and FA Cup during his tenure, Ten Hag’s reign was marred by inconsistency, defensive errors, and an inability to find success against key rivals.
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The following seven matches define the moments that ultimately sealed Ten Hag’s fate.
West Ham 2-1 Manchester United
The coup de grace for Erik Ten Hag at Manchester United as West Ham’s 2-1 win over the Red Devils sealed the Dutch manager’s fate as he was sacked the very next day.
Despite creating numerous chances, United’s finishing let them down, and they failed to convert critical opportunities.
West Ham took the lead in the 74th minute when Crysencio Summerville capitalised on a defensive lapse. Although Casemiro managed to bring United level shortly after, West Ham regained the advantage with a controversial penalty, converted by Jarrod Bowen.
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With United sitting in 14th place and their fourth loss in just nine games, the club decided to part ways with Ten Hag, announcing his departure the next day.
Liverpool 7-0 Manchester United
In one of the most humiliating defeats in the club’s history, Liverpool dismantled United 7-0 at Anfield.
Manchester United started brightly but crumbled after Cody Gakpo opened the scoring just before halftime.
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The Red Devils lost all structure in the second half, with Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah tearing through the defence at will, leaving the Manchester United back-line utterly overwhelmed.
Bruno Fernandes’ lack of composure and Manchester United’s general inability to recover revealed the team’s deep mental fragility, raising major questions about the team’s resilience under Ten Hag.
Crystal Palace 4-0 Manchester United
With their squad decimated by injuries and suspensions, Manchester United were completely outplayed in a 4-0 rout by Crystal Palace.
Ten Hag was forced to field a makeshift team, including a backline featuring veterans and youth players out of their natural positions.
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More defensive lapses allowed the Eagles to pick apart Manchester United’s formation, and the result was sealed when Michael Olise scored the fourth goal, courtesy of a misstep by Casemiro.
This defeat marked Manchester United’s 13th league loss of the 2022/23 season, setting an unwanted club record.
Manchester United 0-3 Tottenham
Facing an energetic Tottenham side, Manchester United’s performance was flat and disorganised against Spurs.
The tone was set within three minutes when Marcus Rashford’s lazy touch led to a quick Spurs goal, scored by Brennan Johnson.
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The Red Devils’ inability to generate any meaningful scoring chances combined with defensive errors left them with a three-goal loss by the end.
Manchester United legend Gary Neville described the first-half display against Tottenham as “disgusting,” pointing to the complete lack of effort and organisation in Ten Hag’s side.
Manchester United 0-3 Bournemouth
Just after a strong win against Chelsea, Manchester United faced a shocking 3-0 loss to Bournemouth, a team that had never previously won at Old Trafford.
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The Cherries took control from the start, with Dominic Solanke netting an early goal and Manchester United’s lack of urgency and sloppiness were evident, as they allowed Philip Billing and Marcos Senesi to score headers before Dango Ouattara added a disallowed fourth.
Captain Bruno Fernandes admitted the team had been complacent, a recurring problem that haunted Ten Hag’s tenure as Manchester United struggled to maintain consistency.
Manchester United 0-3 Liverpool
After a strong showing against Liverpool the previous season, Manchester United’s next fixture at Old Trafford against the Reds was a disaster.
Casemiro’s poor performance led to two costly mistakes in the first half, forcing Ten Hag to substitute him at the break.
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The Red Devils never found their footing against Liverpool and looked disjointed for the entire match, leading to a 3-0 defeat.
Ten Hag’s side lacked tactical discipline, especially in a high-stakes game against one of their biggest rivals, and fans were left questioning the team’s ability to handle big matches.
Manchester United 2-3 Galatasaray
Ten Hag’s Champions League debut at Old Trafford quickly turned into a nightmare as Galatasaray capitalised on United’s defensive errors to claim a famous win.
Rasmus Hojlund twice put United ahead, but careless defending allowed Galatasaray back in, while an Andre Onana giveaway led to Casemiro’s red card.
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Although Mauro Icardi missed the penalty, he redeemed himself with a game-winning goal as Manchester United’s defensive frailties saw them lose at home before they eventually finished bottom of their Champions League group.
Despite moments of success, these disappointing performances ultimately led United to their decision to move on from Ten Hag’s leadership, leaving fans and the club searching for the stability and success they’ve long desired.
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