By 90min | Created at 2024-10-29 21:33:03 | Updated at 2024-11-05 16:36:27
1 week ago
Erik ten Hag was always partial to a footballing cliche and had been known to remark: "You are only as good as your last game."
Manchester United's powers that be took that sentiment a little too literally for the Dutchman, belatedly ending Ten Hag's time in charge after a dire 2-1 loss to West Ham United on Sunday.
If an observer were to judge Ten Hag after each performance, their opinion of United's manager would have dramatically swung from one extreme to another. This, after all, is a coach who won his first trophy at the club one week before slumping to a record-shattering defeat at the home of their fiercest rivals.
While there will be many who question how successful Ten Hag's time at Old Trafford has been, there is no doubt that it was littered with plenty of highs and lows.
2023 Carabao Cup final
Erik ten Hag poses with his first piece of silverware at Manchester United / Julian Finney/GettyImages
Ten Hag was always quick to point to the pieces of silverware which he won for Manchester United - and for good reason. Before a somewhat anticlimactic 2-0 stroll against Newcastle United in the 2023 Carabao Cup final, the Red Devils had not won a trophy in almost six years, stretching back to Jose Mourinho's capture of the 2017 Europa League.
The former Ajax boss was spotted joyfully bouncing around the Wembley pitch with Antony and Lisandro Martinez in a celebration taken from their shared time in Amsterdam. Ten Hag, who wore a pensive glare more often than any other expression, rarely showed such emotion throughout the remaining 18 months of his stay in Manchester.
FA Cup classic
Manchester United duked out a ding-dong cup tie against Liverpool last season / Michael Regan/GettyImages
Played like a reckless, carefree, final day of the season type game, United's bonkers 4-3 triumph over Liverpool in the 2024 FA Cup quarter-final will live long in the memory of those in Manchester and beyond.
Ten Hag's muddled hosts ended the contest with Bruno Fernandes at centre-back and Antony to his left in a makeshift defence. United had taken a tenth-minute lead before Jurgen Klopp's visitors struck twice before the break. Antony - while still in a forward-thinking position - forced extra time with an 87th-minute equaliser. Harvey Elliott fired Liverpool back in front, but United rallied once again, drawing level thanks to Marcus Rashford, ahead of Amad Diallo's 121st-minute winner.
Even the normally stone-faced Ten Hag admitted that it was "really fun to be a part of".
2024 FA Cup final
Erik ten Hag (right) celebrates with Bruno Fernandes / Alex Pantling/GettyImages
On the eve of United's trip to Wembley Stadium for the 2024 FA Cup final, several respected outlets reported that Ten Hag would be sacked after the showpiece. The Red Devils had endured their lowest-ever Premier League finish (eighth) and were framed as rank outsiders in a final against Pep Guardiola's all-conquering Manchester City.
But Ten Hag masterminded the best performance of his entire United tenure. A brave front four nullified the Premier League champions and provided the platform for United to race into an entirely deserved 2-0 lead before the interval. Jeremy Doku's 87th-minute strike proved nothing more than a consolation as United held onto a famous victory and Ten Hag clung to his job.
Man Utd's worst moments under Erik ten Hag
Brentford battering
Erik ten Hag was not impressed by the performance of Cristiano Ronaldo or any other Manchester United player against Brentford in 2022 / Catherine Ivill/GettyImages
Ten Hag's tenure was not even two games old when the first cracks emerged. United were 4-0 down away to lowly Brentford within the opening 35 minutes of their visit in August 2022.
The disgusted Dutch coach later revealed: "Beforehand, I saw one of our players shake his head and say with a sigh, 'It is much too hot to play football'." Ten Hag was particularly incensed by the difference in distance covered between the two sides. The hard-working hosts racked up eight more miles than their neon-clad visitors, who were ordered by the manager to make up the deficit in laps around United's training pitch on their day off.
Derby day demolition
Phil Foden (left) and Erling Haaland both scored hat-tricks against Manchester United in October 2022 / Visionhaus/GettyImages
Had it not been for a late brace from Anthony Martial, Ten Hag's first Manchester derby would have been even more humiliating. As it was, losing 6-3 at the Etihad wasn't exactly a big positive.
The former Bayern Munich second team coach had been dubbed 'mini Pep' during his time in Bavarian given the similarities between the two managers. But the real Pep stood up in October 2022, orchestrating a nut-and-bolt dismantling of his counterpart as two goals for Erling Haaland and Phil Foden gave City a 4-0 lead at half-time. The pair both completed their hat-tricks in the second half, prompting the Etihad to greedily roar: "We want ten!"
Historic defeat to Liverpool
Liverpool romped to a 7-0 win at Anfield / Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/GettyImages
Seven short days after lifting the Carabao Cup, Ten Hag was hanging his head in shame after overseeing United's heaviest ever defeat to Liverpool. The Reds only led by a single goal going into half-time, but mercilessly took advantage of their rivals' staggering implosion over the subsequent 45 minutes.
Luke Shaw's blind rage, Bruno Fernandes' barge on the assistant referee and Ten Hag's slow retreat into his shell were all played to the backdrop of Sky Sports' unravelling commentary.
Former Liverpool centre-back Jamie Carragher audibly giggled in the background to each goal and couldn't resist a sly dig in Gary Neville's direction after the seventh strike. The former United skipper's mask of professionalism momentarily slipped as he hissed towards his colleague: "Do one."
