Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes offered his thanks to Erik ten Hag after the Dutchman was sacked by the Old Trafford club on Monday in a move several former players and pundits said had long been coming.
Ten Hag’s credit ran out after Sunday’s controversial 2-1 Premier League loss to West Ham – their fourth defeat of the season – left United 14th in the table, with Ruud van Nistelrooy taking interim charge of the club.
Ten Hag leaves Manchester having won two trophies with United, the League Cup in his first season and the FA Cup in his second.
In a post on Instagram showing Fernandes lifting the FA Cup with Ten Hag, the skipper 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!”
Ten Hag survived an end-of-season review during the summer with United assessing their options to replace the 54-year-old following an eighth-placed finish, ultimately opting to add another year to his contract.
But despite another £200million being spent in the summer transfer market there has been little sign of improvement, and Monday’s announcement was hardly a shock.
Former United defender Rio Ferdinand said on his YouTube channel: “Am I surprised? No. 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 (sic) 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.”
Former United captain Gary Neville believes Ten Hag paid the price for an “unacceptable” Premier League position.
Neville told Sky Sports: “The big shock for me is how bad they’ve been with the new signings that have come in.
“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.”
Another former United captain, Roy Keane, offered a rare social media post in which he appeared to question the leadership within the Old Trafford dressing room, writing: “In good teams, coaches hold players accountable. In great teams, players hold players accountable.”
Speculation surrounding Ten Hag’s future never really went away despite the contract extension in the summer and Alan Shearer said he had been a ‘dead man walking’ for several months.
Speaking on the Rest is Football podcast, hosted by fellow former England striker Gary Lineker, Shearer believes Ten Hag’s sacking was inevitable in the end.
He said: “We were just waiting for it to happen. Even the way he was talking that ‘we’re all on the same page’.
“Well, they weren’t really on the same page because everyone knew they were talking to managers in the summer.
“If they’re on the same page why on earth are they speaking to managers in the summer? As soon as that came out we all said he was a dead man walking, unfortunately.
“For them then to give him a new contract after that was bizarre really, and to back him with £200million, and in nearly four months they’ve sacked him. Bizarre.”
Lineker agreed, adding: “It’s been an ongoing saga, which started in the summer just before the FA Cup (final) when we got wind of the fact United were sounding out other coaches.
“They seemed to go for Thomas Tuchel but he didn’t take the job, then they subsequently went back to Ten Hag. I suppose there was a degree of eventuality about this.”
Attention will now turn to the identity of Ten Hag’s successor. Thomas Frank was among those linked with the Old Trafford job in the summer.
At a press conference on Monday, the Dane said: “I’ve got a big responsibility to Brentford, their fans, the leadership, players, staff.
“I’ve said many, many times, I’m very happy here. I think it’s one of the best clubs in the world. What happens in the future, who knows?
“I can see myself here for a long, long time. I’ve also said that maybe if something comes up, an opportunity I’d like to try, OK, let’s see. But now? No. I’m very, very happy here.”
