OPINION – United took far too long to sack Ten Hag

Manchester United have finally sacked Erik Ten Hag, with most Red Devils fans seemingly left with one main question – why on earth did it take so long?

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INEOS, the new owners of United, have not covered themselves in glory with their dithering over wielding an axe that finally fell in the wake of United’s 2-1 English Premier League loss to West Ham United on Sunday.

United’s FA Cup final false dawn

It was plain to anyone with eyes, frankly, that Ten Hag should have gone at the end of last season, whether or not Manchester United beat Manchester City to lift the FA Cup.

The media in England were clearly briefed that Ten Hag was a goner, only for the owners to apparently change their minds, after the Dutchman masterminded a win over City at Wembley. To base a decision on one knockout match is absurd, even if the opponents were the best in England.

United were a hair’s breadth offside decision from being knocked out by Coventry in the semifinals, and finished eighth in the Premier League, some 31 points behind City. That was simply not good enough from a squad assembled at great expense.

It was clear that United had talked to other coaches before deciding to keep Ten Hag, which cannot have added any stability to the dressing room ahead of the new season.

One has to have sympathy with Ten Hag in the sense that from the start of the season he has basically been a dead man walking. With every defeat, speculation arose as to when, rather than if he would go.

And there were plenty of defeats. United have lost four of nine Premier League matches, including heavy losses to Liverpool and Tottenham, winning just three times.

United nearer the bottom than the top

At the time of Ten Hag’s exit, they sit 14^th in the table, closer in points to the bottom of the league than the top.

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Even in the Uefa Europa League group stages, the Red Devils have only managed three draws. Hindsight always has 20/20 vision but surely United would have been better off with a clean break at the end of last season?