Erik ten Hag still speaks of Manchester United with the warmth of a former manager who never quite stopped watching, but his account of his Old Trafford departure carries a familiar sting: promises made, plans cut short and a rebuild he believes was stopped before it had found its feet.
Key takeaways
- Ten Hag says he remains emotionally attached to United and wants the club restored to its former standing.
- He believes Michael Carrick should be given time rather than become the next manager sacrificed to a poor run.
- United extended Ten Hag’s deal after the 2-1 FA Cup final win over Manchester City in 2024.
- He says assurances over support, communication and keeping Scott McTominay were not honoured.
- Ten Hag was dismissed on 28 October 2024, with United 14th after taking 11 points from nine league matches.
- The Dutchman wanted United to pursue Declan Rice and Harry Kane during his time in charge.
A bond with United, and doubts over the next change
Ten Hag said he enjoyed his spell in Manchester and retains “wonderful memories” of the club. He regards himself as connected to United now as a supporter, and insists he wants them competing again at the level they once considered normal rather than aspirational.
That attachment also informs his view on Carrick, the current manager. Ten Hag argued that changing the man in the dugout is not automatically the answer, even if supporters demand it when results turn sour. Such calls, he suggested, are often driven by emotion, while a club of United’s scale needs calmer judgement. Carrick should be permitted to follow his own path, he said, adding that the manager has a strong coaching staff around him.
Ten Hag’s own position had looked precarious in the build-up to the 2024 FA Cup final at Wembley. Victory over Manchester City, by two goals to one, changed the immediate picture. A fortnight later, United triggered the option for an extra year in his contract.
But Ten Hag said he could not continue with only 12 months left on his deal. He asked for another year and for the club to commit to a joint project. In return, he says, he was offered loyalty, backing, better communication and coordination. He feels none of those commitments was properly delivered.
The sale of McTominay to Napoli that summer was, in his view, an early sign of the gap between those assurances and reality. United did bring in Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui, both players Ten Hag had previously managed at Ajax, but he had little time to work with them.
His dismissal arrived on 28 October 2024. United were 14th in the Premier League, having collected 11 points from nine fixtures, yet Ten Hag felt the timing was unusual. The club remained in every competition and he believed a longer-term process was only beginning. In the days before his exit, he had heard reports that other managers were being sounded out, but says nobody at United had told him directly.
Ronaldo, recruitment and unfinished plans
Ten Hag also revisited the breakdown with Cristiano Ronaldo, describing it as a disappointment for both the squad and himself. Before taking the United job, he travelled to Portugal to discuss his ideas with Ronaldo and said he approached the conversation with immense respect for one of football’s great names.
Yet he said the situation eventually required a manager’s decision rather than a sentimental one. Ten Hag alleged that Ronaldo missed training, failed to reach the required physical level when he did train, and completed only two of three prescribed runs after United’s 4-0 defeat at Brentford.
His argument was not that Ronaldo had been asked to press endlessly. Rather, Ten Hag said the forward was unable to make the runs required, with or without the ball, to arrive in scoring areas. Preparation, he felt, was the central issue. A leading side should have its best player available, he said, but that player must also work for the team.
Recruitment remains another clear frustration. Ten Hag wanted Rice, but said West Ham were reluctant to sell and that United might have explored the possibility more thoroughly. Rice joined Arsenal in the summer of 2023 and later played a major part in Mikel Arteta’s side winning the Premier League.
Harry Kane was another target. Ten Hag said he had told United there was one player he particularly wanted, referring to the England captain. He pressed for the move and heard Kane was open to it, although he never spoke to the striker himself and was not aware of every part of the club’s decision-making. He was ultimately told the deal could not be done.
Now at FC Twente, Ten Hag says he takes close care over building a squad with the right additions and a shared direction. It is not Manchester United in scale, naturally, but the pressure to deliver remains. His time at Old Trafford may have ended badly, but not his desire to see the club succeed.
