Erik ten Hag sacked RECAP: Man United move for Ruben Amorim to replace Dutchman after Ruud van Nistelrooy named interim boss

Jamie Carragher has jokingly claimed that he would like to see Gary Neville become the next permanent manager of Manchester United.

Liverpool legend Carragher and former United captain Neville were fierce rivals as players but have become friendlier foes in recent years during their roles as Sky Sports pundits.

But Carragher often still mocks Neville about his record during a short managerial career.

Neville took charge of Valencia for 28 games during the 2015-16 season and won just 10 times.

His spell with Valencia is best remembered for a 7-0 defeat by Barcelona.

According to multiple unconfirmed reports, Ruben Amorim has already agreed a deal with Manchester United.

It is claimed that the only thing holding the move up at this stage is that the two clubs have not yet reached an agreement regarding compensation.

We already know that Ruud van Nistelrooy will be the man in charge against Leicester on Wednesday.

But Amorim could potentially be in the United dugout as early as next month if talks go smoothly.

Former England striker Chris Sutton on BBC Radio 5 Live:

Are the players good enough? I think we all agree that they are not an elite group of players, so that is an issue. So in the short term the most important thing for Van Nistelrooy is to put an organised team out on the pitch that the fans can buy in to - and win. Try to build a bit of momentum and confidence.

Madness.

That was the word that filled the conversations and the back pages when Sporting Clube De Portugal announced they were taking a risk on a young coach from Braga, only four years ago.

Why had the capital club, one of Portugal's Big Three along with Porto and Lisbon rivals Benfica, paid more than €10million in compensation, at the time the third-highest fee ever paid for a manager, for a 35-year-old with less than six months of top-level experience? Welcome to the fast lane, Ruben Amorim.

Back then, the outrage was led by Portuguese football icon Luis Figo, who acknowledged that the Jose Alvalade Stadium had often been a graveyard for managers and dubbed the decision to hire rookie Amorim as 'loucura'.

Four years on, the only madness around Amorim is that he is not yet at one of Europe's Continental giants. He will be soon, writes LEWIS STEELE.

Click below to read more.

It is, of course, not certain that Ruben Amorim will want to leave Sporting Lisbon for Manchester United.

A move to Old Trafford would obviously come with a chunky pay-rise and the chance to work with better players.

But his Sporting side are currently on course to win another title in Portugal, having won nine games out of nine so far this season.

He could well decide that he wants to see this season through, especially considering he is unlikely to be short of offers - possibly including a better one from elsewhere in Manchester - next summer.

Ruben Amorim has worked for Manchester United before.

He completed a performance internship at Old Trafford under fellow Portuguese Jose Mourinho in 2018.

The 39-year-old is now the outright favourite to take Mourinho's old job as United manager.

Former Man United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel on BBC 5 Live:

I think it was inevitable. I think that 4-0 defeat to Crystal Palace at the end of last season would be the end of Erik ten Hag. They were out there speaking to everybody in order to try and replace him. They were speaking to other managers and not keeping it a secret. He played his hand really well by getting another contract.

The person they really wanted in the summer, they couldn't get, I think that person would have been Thomas Tuchel. I'm disappointed he's now with England, he would've been fantastic for the club. For whatever reason, he made himself not available.

The club gave Ten Hag a new contract and said they would back him. From finishing eighth last season, that progress has not materialised. It's difficult to see what style the team are playing. At the end of the day, it was inevitable. I'm confused about the timing, you'd think at least give someone the international break to get to Carrington and get into it.

Manchester United and Sporting Lisbon are currently in talks regarding the Old Trafford club's interest in Ruben Amorim.

One topic on the agenda is how much compensation United might need to pay to release Amorim from his contract.

The word on the street is that a figure in the region of €10m (£8.34m) is realistic.

This is moving fast.

An hour or so ago, Ruud van Nistelrooy was the 4/5 favourite to become United's next permanent manager.

He has since drifted to 3/1, while bookies now make Ruben Amorim the overwhelming 1/5 favourite.

Ruben Amorim has taken charge of 237 games as Sporting Lisbon boss.

He has delivered wins in 170 (71.73%) of those matches, drawing 34 and losing 33.

Sporting have scored 514 goals in this period - at an average of 2.17 per game.

Meanwhile, Amorim's Sporting concede 0.82 goals per game on average.

Over the past four seasons, he has won five trophies - including two league titles.

Ruben Amorim is a 39-year-old former Portugal midfielder.

He has been the manager of Sporting Lisbon since 2020, having earlier taken change of Casa Pia, Braga B and Braga.

Amorim is widely considered to be one of the best young managers in world football.

Because of this, Man United are not the only club likely to be keen on hiring him.

Indeed, Manchester City are understood to view Amorim as a strong candidate to eventually take over from Pep Guardiola.

Manchester United are reportedly working on a deal to appoint Ruben Amorim as their replacement for Erik ten Hag.

The Athletic's David Ornstein just posted on X: 'Manchester United working on deal to appoint Ruben Amorim as head coach.

'#MUFC ready to pay €10m release clause + in talks with #SportingCP to finalise. 39yo Portuguese open to accepting move.'

Click below to read more.

What a stat!

It highlights just how hard Erik ten Hag's side found it trying to stay solid the Premier League.

Another cracking stat from Opta revealed that United have spent just 108 minutes ahead during their Premier League games this season.

That is the second lowest in the top flight, after Ipswich (47 minutes).

Manchester United did not include a quote from Erik ten Hag in the statement published to announce his departure today.

Therefore, the Dutchman's final public words as United manager came in his post-game interviews following Sunday's 2-1 defeat at West Ham.

Ten Hag hit out at the VAR's interference after West Ham were awarded a late penalty.

This is what he had to say on Match of the Day:

Before the season there was the instruction about VAR only interfering in clear and obvious mistakes. That is definitely not a clear and obvious mistake from the on-field referee.

I spoke with them (the match officials) But the decision is made. There's no way back and that's football. That's a third time I have felt injustice in the season and it has a big impact on our team and on our scores and where we are in the table. It's not right.

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher speaking to Sky Sports:

'It should have happened in the summer and that's not on Erik ten Hag. That's on the new ownership. All they've done is kick the can down the road for nine league games and cost themselves £200million, in terms of bringing in players in the summer who the manager would have identified.'

Click below to read more.

It is understood that sacking Erik ten Hag cost Manchester United up to £15million.

They probably could have bought another one of Ajax's defenders for that price!

David de Gea appears to have made a not-so-subtle dig at Erik ten Hag following his dismissal by Manchester United.

De Gea was pulling no punches as he took to X to share a pinched fingers emoji, seemingly aimed at his former boss.

The Spanish keeper's United career ended during Ten Hag's reign at Old Trafford.

Click below to read more.

Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane has had his say following the club's decision to sack Erik ten Hag.

Keane took to Instagram this afternoon and posted a picture of himself in the rain.

The Irishman, who was wearing a hoodie in his selfie, wrote in the caption:

In good teams, coaches hold players accountable. In great teams, players hold players accountable.

It is understood that Ruud van Nistelrooy's first press conference as Man United's interim manager will take place after Wednesday's EFL Cup game, rather than before it.

That could be a big game for United, with the cup competitions taking on greater importance following the club's dismal start to their Premier League campaign.

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher on Sky Sports:

They need a top manager. You look at the managers that have been successful in the Premier League era - Pep Guardiola, Sir Alex Ferguson, Jose Mourinho, Jurgen Klopp. It's not just knowing the game, it's having the personality and a presence - Erik ten Hag never really had that.

Jose has been there, he couldn't topple Pep Guardiola. Whoever you bring in, you've got to be hopeful that you don't have to compete with Pep Guardiola next season and he moves on and you might have a chance then.

They need someone with a presence and an aura and you feel like they belong at Manchester United. At times we've seen over the last 10-12 years, whether you're a player or a manager, Old Trafford and Manchester United can engulf you because it's such a huge job.

Former England captain Alan Shearer speaking to BBC Sport:

When you look at the recruitment over the last few years, the players brought in and the amount of money spent, there hasn't been a huge improvement for the amount of money spent.

When you look at the bigger picture, from where Manchester United were two years ago to where they are now, there hasn't been an improvement. We've seen that with a lot of the managers that have been in over the years.

Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo on Instagram:

Thank you for your trust and belief in me and for giving me the opportunity to play for my boyhood club. I wish you all the best for the future.

Ruud van Nistelrooy is the early favourite to be appointed as Man United's next permanent manager, according to the bookmakers.

Xavi Hernandez is also a fairly short price, as is Gareth Southgate.

Meanwhile, Graham Potter, Kieran McKenna and Zinedine Zidane can all currently be backed at odds in excess of 10/1.

Next permanent Man United manager - latest odds:

Ruud van Nistelrooy 4/5

Xavi Hernandez 9/4

Gareth Southgate 7/2

Ruben Amorim 6/1

Julian Nagelsmann 8/1

Thomas Frank 10/1

Graham Potter 12/1

Kieran McKenna 15/1

Michael Carrick 15/1

Zinedine Zidane 20/1

Manchester United forward Alejandro Garnacho on Instagram:

Thank you for everything, boss. I will always be grateful to you for giving me the opportunity and the confidence to play for this club. It hasn’t gone as well as we wanted, but I will remember the good times we had together and I wish you all the best in the future. Thank you very much Erik.

Having the backing of the fans is vital and interim manager Ruud van Nistelrooy already has a head start in that regard.

The 48-year-old is a club legend in the eyes of many, thanks to his 150 goals in 219 United games between 2001 and 2006.

However, despite being prolific in front of goal, Van Nistelrooy only won one Premier League title with United (in 2002-23), as well as the 2003 Community Shield, the FA Cup in 2004 and the EFL Cup in 2006.

Watch some of Van Nistelrooy's best Premier League goals below.

Ruud van Nistelrooy has been confirmed as Mr Right Now, having been placed in temporary charge as Man United's interim manager.

But could he become Mr Right?

The 48-year-old is keen to resume his career in management, after spending two seasons in the PSV dugout (with the reserves in 2021-22 and then the first team in 2022-23).

As a former striker, Van Nistelrooy is likely to introduce a new brand of attacking football at Old Trafford.

His PSV side averaged 2.47 goals per game in the 2022-23 campaign, significantly more than the 1.70 per game that United scored across the Ten Hag era.

Sure, Erik ten Hag's time as Manchester United manager wasn't great.

But, for balance, it wasn't all bad either.

His overall win percentage was 54.69%, which has only been bettered by two permanent managers (Sir Alex Ferguson 59.67% and Jose Mourinho 58.33%) in the club's 146-year history.

Ten Hag also won two trophies during his two full seasons in charge.

They should go and knock on the door - it would probably need to be the back door - and try and get Unai Emery out of Aston Villa. That is the type of thing that a proper big club does.

So, what next for Manchester United.

Well, they have just got to get on with it (to put it bluntly), with Ruud van Nistelrooy steering the ship.

It appears the Dutchman will have a busy few weeks while in charge on an interim basis. Manchester United will practically be playing two games per week before the international break.

Let's have a look at their next five fixtures:

• Manchester United vs Leicester City, Carabao Cup, 30 October
• Manchester United vs Chelsea, Premier League, 3 November
• Manchester United vs PAOK, Europa League, 7 November
• Manchester United vs Leicester City, Premier League, 10 November
• Ipswich Town vs Manchester United, Premier League, 24 November

By improving the structure around Ten Hag, United also isolated the manager as a likely cause for any failure in the system. Sources said on Monday morning that there were ‘no excuses’ for the poor start to the season.

There was an acceptance in the summer that he couldn’t be judged on last season’s disappointment because of the deficiencies above and below him at the club.

Ten Hag was the only constant which means there can be no excuses if things don’t go well – and they could hardly have gone worse so far.

Jamie Carragher, former Liverpool defender, on Sky Sports:

Xavi was one of my favourite players, I think he is the greatest Spanish player of all time. I absolutely adore him. He managed Barcelona and was seen as the next Pep Guardiola, you always felt when he was a player he was going to be a top manager.

He lost his job at Barcelona but he still won LaLiga against a Carlo Ancelotti Real Madrid. So, yes he is out of work at the moment which makes it easier.

It looks like it is going to be him, but I'm not really quite sure what Manchester United can do right now. There has been talk of Gareth Southgate but I don't think the fans would buy that.

I don't think Xavi would be a bad appointment. He has got huge status as player. It doesn't make you a great manager but what it does is give you instant respect on the training pitch.

He has been a manager of a huge football club and had success. He hasn't got a bad CV, so I don't think that would be a bad appointment.

Right, let's look at how the poll is looking.

Xavi is in a slender lead, but I must admit, it is looking rather tight all around.

There have been plenty of shouts for Ruben Amorim in the comments - it seems he is who the fans want.

Piers Morgan, speaking on social media:

Every single word that Cristiano [Ronaldo] told me about Ten Hag in our explosive interview was born out by events.

He was an over-promoted, delusional, disrespectful, and thoroughly mediocre manager who couldn’t handle world-class talent or run a club that size.

The majority of players backed Ten Hag but the feeling in the dressing-room is that he was on borrowed time and that is said to have contributed to a dip in performance levels this season. In the Premier League, even the slightest drop-off can be crucial.

Erik ten Hag was right, he certainly is no wizard.

A colleague of mine has just flagged some incredible quotes from the Dutchman that he said after Manchester United's 3-0 loss to Liverpool in September.

I simply have to share them.

'It's not like I'm Harry Potter and that is what you have to acknowledge,' Ten Hag said in his post-match press conference.

'It is the third game of the season. I have had to explain this so many times. We have to build them in the team and it will take time. We will be fine but it is clear we have to improve.

'At the end of the season, I am quite confident we will have a big chance to lift another trophy.'

If United are to lift a trophy, Ten Hag will not be in the dugout to guide them to it.

It's easy to forget that Graham Potter is on the market...

The English manager has not taken charge of a club since he left Chelsea at the back end of the 2022-23 season.

His reputation took a bit of a hit while in London, but he is still a brilliant coach ]. I mean, just look at his record at Brighton.

With not that many options to choose from at the moment, United could turn to Potter to solve their problems.

There would be no quick fix, though. It would take time.

Whether Van Nistelrooy is considered for the top job at United full-time, will be intriguing. Many in the Netherlands believe Van Nistelrooy would struggle to turn down such an opportunity.

He loves the club and has lofty ambitions of his own. It doesn’t get loftier than Manchester United.

It unravelled once, and then it unravelled again for Erik ten Hag.

The first time he was forgiven by Ineos, however, the second time he would not be so lucky.

So, where did it all go wrong?

Mail Sport's Chris Wheeler gives us the inside scoop of why Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his crew finally decided to give Ten Hag the chop.

Join Mail+ to read Man United Confidential every Tuesday, plus more exclusive scoops, in-depth coverage and analysis from Old Trafford

Interesting, very interesting...

Is this David De Gea tweet in response to Erik ten Hag being given the boot by his former club Manchester United.

I mean, it certainly could be.

Ten Hag did let go of the goalkeeper after his 11 years of service to the club and replaced him with Andre Onana.

So, I don't imagine they have the best relationship.

Money doesn't buy happiness, that's all I'm saying.

Erik ten Hag spent a lot of it while he was at Manchester United and look where that got him - on a plane back to the Netherlands.

So, who were all the players he splashed the cash on? Let's take a look:

• Tyrell Malacia - £14.6m
• Christian Eriksen - FREE
• Lisandro Martinez - £55m
• Casemiro - £70m
• Antony - £82m
• Mason Mount - £60m
• Andre Onana - £47m
• Rasmus Hojlund £72m
• Altay Bayindir - £5m
• Jonny Evans - FREE
• Joshua Zirkzee - £36.5m
• Leny Yoro - £52m
• Noussair Mazraoui - £17m
• Matthijs de Ligt - £37m
• Manuel Ugarte - £52m

Right, this is a podcast you are going to want to listen to.

When It's All Kicking Off! were getting ready to record this morning, I'm guessing they were going to talk about Erik ten Hag anyway.

But then the news came out that he had been sacked...

So, this makes for both an entertaining watch and listen. Enjoy!

Erik ten Hag is seemingly already on his way out of the Netherlands.

he has been spotted arriving at Manchester Airport to board a private jet that will take him nack to his home country.

A swift exit for the Dutchman.

Erik ten Hag had many highs and lows during his time as Manchester United boss.

Today's the kind of day where we look at his lows, right?

He endured his fair share of thumping defeats while at the helm. Ones that left him looking at the floor in despair.

So, I thought I would list the very worst ones because I am such a nice person. United fans, you may want to look away.

• Brentford 4-0 Manchester United, August 2022
• Manchester City 6-3 Manchester United, October 2022
• Liverpool 7-0 Manchester United, March 2023
• Manchester United 0-3 Bournemouth, December 2023
• Manchester United 0-3 Liverpool, September 2024

Ruben Amorim, Sporting CP boss, speaking on his future:

I was already expecting this question and obviously, I'm not going to talk about the future, because otherwise, I'll always have to comment. I’m very proud to be Sporting coach, that’s all.

Ted, Aldington: A club of this size doesn't sack a manager without knowing they have 1 or 2 options ready to step in. Is it a coincidence that Roberto Mancini became available this week?

Imagine the uproar on the other half of Manchester...

Oh, I do love a poll, don't you?

I have already asked you the question and now it's time for you to give me your answer.

We have four options for you to choose from regarding who you would like to see Manchester United appoint.

If the manager you like is not on there, feel free to reply to the tweet or comment on this live blog.

I look forward to seeing what you all have to say.

I want to hear from all of you now.

With Erik ten Hag out of the picture, Ineos will be scrambling around as we speak in the hunt for a new boss.

The question is, who should it be?

Names like Xavi, formerly of Barcelona, and Thomas Frank have been floated around in the past few weeks.

Personally, I think the more low-key appointment of Frank would be a brilliant direction for the Red Devils to go in.

He has a distinct style, is a well respected coach, and a very likeable character. He also has a good knowledge of the division due to his time at Brentford.

Gareth Southgate is another name that is in the discussion, but is he ready to coach a monster club like Manchester United.

What are your thoughts?

Players have badly let Erik ten Hag down, as many did previously to his predecessors. Bruno Fernandes is facing the worst season of his Manchester United career to date - still no Premier League goal through nine games - while Diogo Dalot is an open goal conversion away from the Dutchman still being in a job this morning. No team has been more wasteful in front of goal than United and last time I checked Ten Hag isn’t the one with boots on in front of goal.

The natural riposte is that he signed these players but United have been creating chances and had they gone in they’d have blown Palace and West Ham away and Ten Hag would be credited with the exciting football on display. Players fluff their lines - inexplicably so every single week - and the manager has to carry the can. Rinse and repeat for the next manager, and probably the one after that.

Rasmus Hojlund, Manchester United striker, on Instagram:

Thank you for everything boss. Wish you all the best in the future.

This has been coming for a long time, hasn't it?

While Erik ten Hag's tenure started promisingly, with a FA Cup and third place finish in his first season, it soon went Pete Tong.

Last year Manchester United finished a mediocre eighth place in the Premier League, the lowest they have placed in the history of the competition.

They conced 81 goals in all competitions and endured their worst ever European points finish in the Champions League group stage.

It was a pretty grim season for them, even if they did win the FA Cup at the end of it to paper over the cracks.

However, Erik ten Hag stayed in charge over the summer and became part of a new-look Red Devils off the pitch. Optimism was high.

It didn't take long for it all to be wiped away, though. United have lost four of their first nine Premier League games and sit in 14th position in the league.

After performing poorly for so long, this was inevitable.

I’m told Erik ten Hag was summoned to a meeting at Carrington with Omar Berrada and Dan Ashworth this morning where he was informed that it was over.

That meeting has been described to me as ‘respectful and dignified’. His conduct off the field remained decent to the end.

I spoke to a source close to academy this morning and there is a sadness that it’s not worked out for Erik ten Hag. Ineos are pushing youth development internally and in Ten Hag they had a manager who routinely brought in players from the U21s and U18s to train with the first team group. Just recently 16-year-old Amir Ibragimov was part of the group.

“That will be key,” the source said when asked about whether youth development will be a key heading metric for the next manager. Let’s see.

We, we know that Ruud van Nistelrooy will take charge in the interim but that is not to say he can't become permanent manager.

But is he good enough?

He certainly knows what it is like to be successful at the club as a player, and understands what the club is and its identity.

Also, he has been a manager before at PSV Eindhoven, where he won the Dutch Cup before leaving in 2022.

However, he is relatively inexperienced when it comes to coaching at the highest level, so it would be a major risk.

Man United fans, would you take it?

Ten Hag's final press conference for Wednesday's Carabao Cup tie against Leicester was done after the West Ham game yesterday and will never be aired. Van Nistelrooy won't do one before Leicester but is expected to speak afterwards.

Rio Ferdinand, speaking on social media:

I look at Ineos, did they back themselves into a corner with the way they handled stuff in the summer? Retrospectively, I think they will look back and say "we could have handled it differently, we could have handled it better".

Having a manager in place and actively looking for managers becoming public knowledge isn't a great way to do it. But one win in eight games for Ten Hag isn't great.

I don't think he or anybody else is surprised with this. My thing is that it's taken so long. One of the best candidates was Thomas Tiuchel and he is gone now.

From the moment Ruud van Nistelrooy returned to Utd this summer, it always felt as though the club had a ready-made replacement on hand if they had to sack Ten Hag. No surprise at all to see him step in.

Now this is not good viewing for Erik ten Hag.

Out of the last seven Manchester United managers, only Ralf Rangnick and David Moyes had a worst points per game ratio while in charge.

In fact, his record against the other bosses is not the best...

• Sir Alex Ferguson: Win Percentage - 65% PPG - 2.16
• David Moyes: Win Percentage - 50% PPG - 1.68
• Louis van Gaal: Win Percentage - 51% PPG - 1.79
• Jose Mourinho: Win Percentage - 54% PPG - 1.89
• Ole Gunnar Solskjaer: Win Percentage - 51% PPG - 1.81
• Ralf Rangnick: Win Percentage - 42% PPG - 1.54
• Erik ten Hag: Win Percentage - 52% PPG - 1.72

It was a 90th-minute winner that did for Ten Hag yesterday, albeit a controversial one.

But Ten Hag made a habit of it. And it couldn't continue.

United legend and pundit Gary Neville has had his say.

He's blaming the players. But wants them to step up.

No-one watches United and doesn't think the players are better than what they are showing. They are better than 14th and probably better than sixth.

United have been in this position many times, you begin to question every player on the pitch. If a manager can come in and start to get a song out of them, you can start deciding who to keep

I would not change anything in the January transfer window. The new manager should be made to work with these players.

Via our friends at Paddy Power, Van Nistelrooy is still the heavy favourite to be the next permanent manager.

But it's the same named in the top five...

• Ruud van Nistelrooy 6/4
• Gareth Southgate 6/1
• Ruben Amorim 13/2
• Xavi 5/1
• Thomas Frank 7/1

United captain Bruno Fernandes is the first player to break his silence.

The midfielder - who spurned a great opportunity to score against West Ham yesterday - took to social media to pay tribute.

Alongside a photo of himself and Ten Hag with the FA Cup, he posted on Instagram:

Thanks for everything, boss! I appreciate the trust and the moments we share together, I wish you all the best.

Even knowing the last period hasn’t been great from all of us, I hope you fans can keep with you the good things Erik has done for our club.

Turns out they knew just as much as us.

Our Manchester United correspondent, Chris Wheeler, has revealed that the Red Devils players were told about the sacking at the same time the announcement was made.

United haven't won in Europe in over a year. In the Europa League this season, it's been three draws and three leads blown.

Unacceptable, for some. But not Ten Hag. He saw it as a positive.

Point in Porto, point in Fenerbahce, that's not bad, but of course we want to win.

We want to win every game. From two tough away games, Porto and Fenerbahce, we take two points, this is a result.

Full story below:

And then we have Ten Hag's record.

Our friends at SofaScore have put together a nice little graphic to detial how he got on at United.

128 games. 72 wins.

The rest is below.

This reeks of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, doesn't it? Former fan favourtie striker, first team coach in interim charge...

Van Nistelrooy has experience. Having retired in 2012, he began coaching with PSV's reserve team until he was handed the first team job in March 2022.

He won the 2022 Johan Cruyff Shield and the 2023 KNVB Cup before retiring due to a 'lack of support'.

Before that, he had also been involved with his country. But he stepped up to the plate at United in July to assist Ten Hag, though I think it's fair to say it was an unsuccessful partnership.

In total he has managed 89 games, winning 44, drawing 21 and losing 24.

There's no rest for the wicked.

United are in action in, what, 55 hours? They will host Leicester in the Carabao Cup at Old Trafford.

After that, it's Chelsea in the Premier League this weekend and PAOK in Euripe, before yet another home game against Leicester in the league.

Oil up that wheel.

Senior players in Manchester United's squad reportedly expressed concerns over Erik ten Hag's management choices before he was sacked.

According to TalkSport, he was facing a revolt from his players after it was revealed several senior stars had aired concerns over his management style and team selection decisions.

They won't have to worry about that now.

Full story below:

Ten Hag's tenure was seemingly filled with excuses. Unlucky, was the last one he used, to describe his fortunes.

He said after defeat by West Ham:

All over I don't have so many criticisms about my team, other than not scoring.

I can also say Alejandro Garnacho, twice, Rasmus Hojlund one time, [Marcus] Rashford, Bruno [Fernandes]. It's not fair to pick one player out who missed a chances when there were so many who were missing chances.

The luck is definitely not on my side at the moment.

Last season was not different but in the end we turned it around and we are so determined that it will be the same case today. We have to turn this around and it will turn around if we keep playing like we are playing now.

Ten Hag was given the full backing of United chiefs in the summer.

Chief executive Omar Berrada said of the Dutchman just a matter of weeks ago:

Do we still believe in Erik? Absolutely. We think Erik is the right coach for us and we’re fully backing him.

Erik has our full backing and we have worked very closely together, as Dan said before, in this [summer] ­transfer window. We’re going to continue working very closely with him to help him get the best results.

So, who could be next in the hotseat?

This will be Ineos' first appointment since their takeover and it's a big one. United are a shadow of what the used to be.

Here's what SkyBet are saying in terms of the favourites...

• Ruud van Nistelrooy 2/5
• Ruben Amorim 3/1
• Gareth Southgate 7/2
• Thomas Frank 5/1
• Xavi 5/1

United have confirmed that assistant manager Rudd van Nistelrooy will take interim charge of the side. No time frame given.

Ruud van Nistelrooy will take charge of the team as interim head coach, supported by the current coaching team, whilst a permanent head coach is recruited.

The Dutchman joined his countryman at the club in the summer, and has ended up with a more senior role than he may have predicted...

Manchester United have confirmed the news on their club website this afternoon.

They wrote:

Erik ten Hag has left his role as Manchester United men’s first-team manager.

Erik was appointed in April 2022 and led the club to two domestic trophies, winning the Carabao Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup in 2024.

We are grateful to Erik for everything he has done during his time with us and wish him well for the future.

It looks like defeat by West Ham was the final straw.

Having been backed in the summer on the back of winning the FA Cup, Ten Hag has lasted just nine Premier League games and he is now out the door.

United are 14th in the table, haven't won in Europe in a year and it has, in all honesty, been excuse after excuse.

The hunt for the new manager begins now.

No time for introductions. Erik ten Hag has been sacked by Manchester United.

Two-and-a-half years. A few trophies. A number of bumps along the way - none bigger, seemingly, than West Ham.

It's over.