Erik ten Hag was sacked as Manchester United manager on Monday following a 2-1 defeat by West Ham that left the former kings of English football a lowly 14th in the Premier League.
Below AFP Sport looks at the reaction to the end of the Dutchman’s two-year reign at Old Trafford:
“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.”
— Former England striker Alan Shearer on how Ten Hag was undermined by the United hierarchy talking to other candidates for the Old Trafford hotseat in pre-season.
“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.”
— Rio Ferdinand, a former Manchester United defender, on the closing weeks of Ten Hag’s time in charge.
“It’s not like he’s not been backed. That’s a hell of a lot of money and it hasn’t worked at all.”
— Former England striker turned broadcaster Gary Lineker on United spending over £600 million ($778 million) in the transfer market under Ten Hag.
“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.”
— Former Manchester United full-back Gary Neville.
“This decision should have happened in the summer. That’s not on Ten Hag, that’s on the new ownership at the club.
“All they’ve done is kicked the can down the road for nine league games and cost themselves £200 million.”
— Jamie Carragher, the former Liverpool defender, on why co-owner Jim Ratcliffe, should have been swifter in sacking Ten Hag.
“He tried to replicate what he did at Ajax…But I think he found it very very difficult to play that way, with the players and the team that he had in the Premier League.
“I don’t think they had the level or the quality to do it.”
— Former Manchester United defender Henning Berg on how Ten Hag’s attempts to repeat his success with the Dutch giants floundered in Manchester.
“In good teams, coaches hold players responsible. In great teams, players hold players accountable.”
— Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane.
