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The once-hailed side have moved from manager to manager since the departure of the Scot, as United go in search of their first PL crown since the departure of the legendary Sir Alex in 2013.
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag on the touchline during the English Premier League soccer match between West Ham United and Manchester United at the London Stadium in London, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024. (John Walton/PA via AP)
Manchester United announced the termination of Dutch head coach Erik ten Hag’s duties as the head coach of the fabled Mancunian side following the Red Devils’ Premier League defeat at West Ham on Sunday.
The most successful side in the history of English football have failed to recapture their glory days after the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson, who led the side to their last PL crown in the year 2013, before stepping down as the most decorated manager in English club football.
The once-hailed side have moved from manager to manager since the departure of the Scot, none of whom have managed to follow in the lineage of Sir Alex.
David Moyes (2014)
It began with Ferguson’s ‘ Chosen One’. Following his announcement to step down from managerial duties at the conclusion of the 2013 season the main man opined that compatriot Moyes was the man to succeed him.
The former Everton boss was brought into Old Trafford but was never really given the time to settle in.
The role of the head coach of the most successful side could be a daunting task for anyone as such and Moyes felt it first hand as he was sacked from the position of the United gaffer in less than a year following largely underwhelming results.
But, truth be told, he was never granted sufficient time to prove his mettle at the OT as he was sacked before the end of this first season, which did more harm to the club than good in retrospect.
Ryan Giggs (2014- Caretaker)
With Moyes shown the exit before the completion of his debut season with the Reds, United legend Giggs stepped up to take charge of managerial duties as a caretaker as he saw out the 2014 season.
Giggs oversaw the side for 4 games from the touchline, winning 2 and posting a draw and a loss each before United made a decision on their permanent replacement for Moyes.
Louis Van Gaal (2014-2016)
The Iron Tulip was brought on board as the permanent manager and the hopes of United fans worldwide were pinned on the Dutchman who had helmed Ajax, AZ, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and the Netherlands national side.
The journeyman brought with him what was touted as the ‘Van Gaal Philosophy’, but the journeyman could not make his magic work in England as the Premier League still eluded the Mancunian side while the noisy neighbours kept lapping up crown after crown.
At one point, Van Gaal’s game moved into a territory of benign passes from side to side and it became clearer that the club had to bring in a head coach with a different approach in order to restore the club to its glory days.
And despite a FA Cup triumph, the Dutchman was relieved of his duties as the wait for a PL crown went on.
Jose Mourinho (2016-2018)
The self-proclaimed ‘Special One’, who had weaved his magic over the PL with Chelsea in the past was spotted as the man to end United’s yearning for a domestic title as the Portuguese mastermind was handed the reins of the side in the 2016 season.
Despite Mourinho’s track record, it always felt like Mouinho’s vision of football was one that was completely different from the set ethos at Old Trafford, and it seemed like a marriage set up for a struggle.
And despite bringing in world-class players to the setup and triumphs in the UEFA Europa League, EFL League Cup and the Community Shield, Mourinho failed to clinch the coveted PL title as he finished second, which he then termed the ‘biggest achievement of my career’.
With the Premier League crown still out of reach, Mourinho’s time at United descended into chaos and the Portuguese man left the OT in tatters on his way out of the club in the year 2018.
By the time the former Chelsea boss parted ways with the Man United, with a hefty paycheck as severance package, the environment had been tainted and an air of uncertainty and noxiousness had engulfed the club.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (2018-2021)
The last time United fans were truly happy!
The Baby-faced-assassin, who had helped United clinch the UCL 1999 as a player under the aegis of Sir Alex, was back at his beloved United in a managerial capacity and did an excellent job of patching up the side Mourinho had left in tatters.
The Norweigan had the United faithful singing his name with some expansive brand of football and the UCL turnaround against PSG in Paris remains as one of the most fondest memories in recent times for the swathe of United fans across the globe.
He was unlucky to miss out on a title at the UEFA Europa League 2020-21 season as his side went down to Villarreal in excruciating circumstances as the penalty shootout trickled down to 11 spot kicks before we found a winner, and much to the dismay of the United faithful, the Spanish unit emerged victorious as Ole missed out silverware.
Despite the finals defeat, Ole still ad the backing of the fans and the mood around the fabled club was still one of joy, but United management decided to remove Ole in order to challenge for title and rebuild the club into one which could challenge for silverware on a regular basis and the club legend stepped down before the Christmas of 2021 with an emotional speech.
Michael Carrick (2021- Caretaker)
Another United legend, Carrick, stepped up to fill the void left by Ole for three games, winning two of them. The other game ended in a draw and Carrick saw out his durties as the caretaker without a loss.
Ralf Ragnick (2021)
Another chapter that started off with promise, but ended up in a rather anti-climatic manner!
The Austrian veteran was brought to Old Teafford to serve as the head of the sporting affairs from the 2022 campaign, and doubled as the interim manager before Untied could find a permanent boss to replace Ole.
Ragnick, however, had a torrid time at the touchlines with United and managed less than 30 games before he toos the national job with the Austrian side opting to relinquish his role at United.
Erik ten Hag (2022-2024)
A lot of hopes were pinned on the Dutchman, who was thought to be the antidote to United’s seemingly poisoned chalice.
The architect of the renowned Ajax side that took the world by storm in the 2019 campaign of the elite European championships, had his task cut out, but was given the vote of confidence by the United board.
He was put under immense scrutiny upon his arrival on English shores, and the FA Cup and EFL League Cup triumphs he managed in back-to-back seasons did not help save his job from termination as United board decided to part ways with the Dutchman on Monday.
United demonstrated a lo of promise at the onset of the Dutch coach’s initial phase at the club, but things went downward in terms of performance as they finished 8th in the 2023-24 season.
With his job on the line, ten Hag required a strong start to the season to instill confidence amid the INOES takeover, but an United languishing at 14th in the table did not favour the former Ajax boss, who became the latest causality in United’s search for a PL title since Fergie’s retirement.
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