Erik ten Hag's desperate need for control at Manchester United meant that, with the problems piling up, Ten Hag's fingerprints were on too many failures. The Dutchman had no more excuses and the defeat to West Ham marked the end of his reign.
Ten Hag has had his way, supported by the club in almost every way, but has failed to make a dent. The 54-year-old has had a lot of control at United, dictating details from the length of the grass on the pitch to help with quicker passing to the layout of Old Trafford.
Early in his reign, Ten Hag was given permission to redesign a team video analysis room at Carrington at a cost of over £200,000. His changes were not limited to the facilities, however.
Ten Hag changed the way his players prepared for matches, requiring them to arrive four hours early for games at Old Trafford in their own cars rather than spending the night before at a Manchester hotel. He repurposed a large reception room and turned it into a pre-match preparation room for the Red Devils.
The Dutch tactician moved the lockers in the dressing room so that the defenders sat on the left, the midfielders and strikers on the right while he stood in front of his tactics board.
At Old Trafford, Ten Hag insisted on moving the bench closer to the tunnel, even though it meant the technical area would be halfway down the touchline. This, the Dutchman said, would give him a better view of the game.
United knew what they were getting when they hired Ten Hag from Ajax in the summer of 2022. When he first arrived at Ajax in December 2017, Ten Hag continued to use a suitcase embroidered with the branding of his former club FC Utrecht. Despite the gossip, Ten Hag simply wanted to use that suitcase. Ajax bosses told their counterparts at United that it was Ten Hag's "stubbornness".
Ten Hag remained the same at Old Trafford, but with so much control came increased responsibility and pressure. After more than two years in charge, Ten Hag was sacked with just four wins from 13 games in all competitions in the 2024-2025 season.
Having slipped to 14th in the Premier League table - closer to the relegation zone than the top - United are in danger of breaking last season's dismal record.
Ten Hag left with a record of 70 wins and 35 losses from 128 games. Signs of discord had been there for some time and although United sources insist Ten Hag had conducted himself professionally and with dignity throughout his time at Old Trafford, his departure was not a surprise.
