Premier League: Liverpool Thrashes Manchester United 7-0, March 5th, 2023
Despite a rocky beginning with two consequential losses, Erik ten Hag made remarkable strides in his tenure at Manchester United with accomplishments such as the League Cup triumph and a stunning exit win against Barcelona in the Europa League. A prosperous progression saw them ranked third in the Premier league, a five-point gap from top-tier Arsenal, until their arch-rival, Liverpool, delivered an agonising 7-0 defeat at Anfield. The crushing defeat, helmed by Jurgen Klopp’s squad, equals Manchester’s worst defeat record in history, and such a disgrace against their old rival, Liverpool, dissolved the positive sentiments encircling the team.
Champions League: Copenhagen Defeats Manchester United 4 – 3, November 8th, 2023
Ten Hag’s inaugural year as the Manchester United coach involved a disastrous Champions League campaign, culminating in a stinging defeat against Copenhagen, a team whose budget pales in comparison to United. Despite attaining a 2-0 lead, a red card offense by Marcus Rashford saw Copenhagen equalise, making the score 2-2. United recaptured the lead through a second-half penalty by Bruno Fernandes but collapsed dramatically in the final ten minutes, witnessing a glorious victory by the Danish team. That loss contributed to United finishing last in the group, with a meagre five points in six games – a failing performance by any managerial standards.
Premier League: Crystal Palace Dominates Manchester United 4 – 0, May 6th, 2024
In a turbulent turn of events, Manchester United ended the season in eighth place (their worst in the Premier League period), accompanied by an adverse goal difference. Home defeat against Fulham and Bournemouth also marked career lows, but United’s 4-0 meltdown against Crystal Palace was arguably the extreme low. Their £60 million acquisition, Casemiro, was a monumental failure at the centre back, resulting in a humiliating loss at Selhurst Park. Given the disastrous season, there were whispers of Ten Hag’s dismissal post-FA Cup final. However, the board decided against this course of action following their commendable victory against Manchester City.
Premier League: Tottenham Trounces Manchester United 3 – 0, September 29th, 2024
Despite clinching the FA Cup, Ten Hag entered the current season under pressure as the manager, yet he was supported with several new acquisitions in the transfer market. Nevertheless, they were undoubtedly outclassed at their own grounds by Liverpool, succumbing to a 3-0 loss. As Tottenham arrived at Old Trafford, it was already a critical match for Ten Hag, but within the first three minutes, they fell behind the competition. Tottenham’s centre-back, Micky van de Ven, unchallenged, managed to weave through the entire United lineup, setting up Brennan Johnson for an effortless goal. Ten Hag pointed to Fernandes’s later-overturned red card as the reason for their loss, but United exhibited an equally dismal performance with both 11 and 10 players, as they faced a swift defeat.
Premier League: Manchester United 1, West Ham 2, October 27th, 2024
In an ironic twist of fate, Ten Hag’s termination as manager came about after one of United’s stronger displays of the season, even though, in the first half, they wasted numerous scoring opportunities. Among the blunders was Diogo Dalot, a full back, who navigated past the goalkeeper, only to wildly miss an empty net. West Ham rightfully capitalised on these missed chances during the second half. While Ten Hag might have been justly upset about a problematic penalty decision that emerged as the game changer, United’s disappointing performance in the second half and the resulting loss effectively brought about Ten Hag’s final curtain call as manager.