Erik ten Hag reflects on disappointment and his Manchester United exit

“It disappointed the team and it disappointed me, because we had planned everything with him,” Erik ten Hag says. The former Manchester United manager looks back on his time at the club in an interview with The Athletic. He recalls travelling to Portugal before joining United to discuss his objectives with the person concerned. Despite his admiration — “obviously, he is one of the best in the history of football” — Ten Hag says that, as a coach, he had to make a rational decision and keep the players he admired.

Ten Hag also says he believed he was the best manager for United and therefore saw no reason to “get into trouble”. Dismissed by Manchester United two years earlier, he says he has maintained that position ever since. Yet his emotional connection to the club remains: “I enjoyed every minute at Manchester United; I have wonderful memories.” He says he still feels connected to the team and describes himself as a supporter. His disappointment, particularly over promises he says the club failed to fulfil, sits alongside that attachment. “I really want United to win,” he says, adding that he wants the club to return to where it was in the past.

He also weighs in on the club’s current manager, whose name is not specified in the quoted remarks: “Sacking him is not the solution. Not at all. The fans will demand it if the results do not improve; it is a decision driven by emotion. Rational decisions have to be made. So let him follow his own path. I think he has a good coaching staff.”

Ten Hag also revisits the recruitment decisions from his time in charge. He lists keeping Scott McTominay among his requests; McTominay ultimately left United for Napoli that same summer. Ten Hag says he also pushed for Declan Rice, but West Ham did not want to let him go. He believes United could have made more attempts and says the club needs exceptional players. Another target he says he identified was Harry Kane, for whom he says he fought.

His comments capture the mixed feelings he retains about his Manchester United spell: disappointment over the separation and unfulfilled commitments, alongside an attachment he presents as undiminished.