It’s been a long time coming, but it has finally happened — Manchester United have sacked Erik ten Hag.
This is a huge story. Let’s get straight to it.
The end for Erik ten Hag
Erik ten Hag had been on the ropes at Manchester United. Even to the untrained eye, he was fighting a losing battle – almost from day one. The only question was when, exactly, the club would say enough was enough, because no straw ever quite broke the camel’s back.
That was until yesterday, when United lost 2-1 at West Ham United. Ten Hag bemoaned the nature of the late penalty that inflicted the defeat, and rightly so, but the well of excuses was virtually dry. His team had 11 points from nine games. They were 14th in the table. He had to go – and this morning, he did, sacked after more than two years in charge.
Some will say this should have happened long ago. While it delivered two trophies, Ten Hag’s reign was an abject failure. From recruitment to tactics to public relations, he looked badly out of his depth — bizarrely so given how coherent a team he built in his previous job at Ajax.
Some will also say United’s minority shareholder, INEOS, should carry the can for some astonishingly poor decision-making: first, the cack-handed manner in which it stuck with Ten Hag over the summer, despite approaches to Thomas Tuchel and others, and second, in sitting on its hands and wasting the first quarter of this Premier League season.
We’ll be all over this story as the week goes on. The main thing all of us will be asking: who’s next?
Tuchel has taken the England job. Roberto De Zerbi, another coach United’s hierarchy considered during the close season, is at Marseille. United like Brentford’s Thomas Frank and in the background at Old Trafford is Ten Hag’s recently-appointed assistant, and ex United goal machine, Ruud van Nistelrooy. He’s interim boss in the meantime.
All the latest updates are in our live blog while this one develops. We’ll be back with much more tomorrow…
Major problems for Real Madrid
Cigars at Real Madrid are reserved for manager Carlo Ancelotti, his signature mode of celebration whenever the good times roll. At Real Madrid, they tend to roll regularly.
But on Saturday, the only person in Madrid puffing out cigar smoke (or what looked like cigar smoke) was Wojciech Szczesny, Barcelona’s reserve goalkeeper. The Pole was toasting a brutal 4-0 rout of Real, as well he might. Barca will remember the taking of the Bernabeu for years. Real won’t forget in a hurry either.
El Clasico never disappoints, but it rarely leaves a team as drained of blood as Ancelotti’s players were. Real are defending La Liga and Champions League holders, with Kylian Mbappe the new string to their bow. But from day one this season, it’s seemed all is not perfect behind the scenes. Saturday crystalised that suspicion and left Real six points off Barca’s hot pace in La Liga’s table.
Managing either of La Liga’s big two can be a volatile business — “We always live with our suitcases by the door,” is how coaching staff at Real have described it previously — but Ancelotti’s job should have been one of the safest in Europe. As it is, he’ll need to burn the candle at both ends before he gets to light cigars again. Barca’s spectacular changing of the guard is no flash in the pan.
The Mbappe issue
A few weeks ago, Tifo Football’s Alex Barker stuck his neck out and asked: is Mbappe making Real worse?
If Mbappe isn’t making Real worse, he has not really made them better, either — not yet. His Clasico debut was a mess: ruled offside on eight occasions (equalling a La Liga record) as Barca’s high line caught out Real time and again. It was just about the only data point where he left an impression, as can be seen from his player dashboard above.
Barca turned it on after the interval, scoring four goals, including another from the irrepressible Raphinha. He’s doing what Mbappe wishes he was doing. Real’s collapse was notable because there is disquiet in their dressing room about their physical preparation and tensions among Ancelotti’s staff. Pre-game reports about the unrest were an unhelpful distraction.
Guillermo Rai’s excellent piece on Real noted that the club’s executives are not expected to make any imminent decisions on Ancelotti’s future. The fact Guillermo felt the need to check says it all — when a boss at either of Spain’s giants spirals, he tends to spiral quickly.
Brilliant Barcelona
As for Barca, they’ve tipped the balance in La Liga. Don’t forget: they finished 10 points behind Real Madrid last season. Financially, they’re in perennial disarray.
Lamine Yamal, 17, became El Clasico’s youngest goalscorer on Saturday. It was deeply disappointing that he was also the victim of alleged racial abuse. He wasn’t playing the result down, God love him. “We believe we’re the best team in the world,” he said.
Six of manager Hansi Flick’s starting line-up were aged 22 or under, Yamal included. Five came through their La Masia academy, the world’s pre-eminent production line. Ex-Barca defender Gerard Pique took the chance to rub it in on X (“We are unique. They can never be like us,” he posted) and Real can only suck it up. For Ancelotti, not close. And certainly no cigar.
Salah’s Indian summer
I read with interest Ahmed Walid’s positive critique of Mohamed Salah, a piece arguing that Salah is more effective for Liverpool than ever. It’s a brave statement considering how immense he was for Jurgen Klopp.
But Salah seems dead set on producing the season of his life. His late goal (above) gave Liverpool a 2-2 draw with Arsenal in yesterday’s big Premier League fixture. The run that created it was so intelligent, as was the assist from Darwin Nunez.
Mo Salah finds the equaliser for Liverpool! 🔴 pic.twitter.com/d25GlFIwnK
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 27, 2024
Neither Liverpool nor Arsenal will see a point at the Emirates as a bad result. It’s a better result for Manchester City, though, who lead the table. Mikel Arteta won’t be thrilled by how his side flagged towards the end but a far bigger worry was the sight of defenders Gabriel and Jurrien Timber limping out of the game.
Defensive stability has been Arsenal’s strength. Timber did a fine job on Salah before his enforced exit. Arteta needs good news on the injury front — a five-point gap to City won’t close itself.
Mystifying misses
Poor Harry Clarke. He’s an Ipswich boy who made his full Premier League debut for Ipswich Town at Brentford. He scored an own goal, conceded a penalty and then got sent off, at which point he should have climbed back into bed and pulled the covers over his head.
But TAFC would hate Clarke to think that the rest of the world was perfect. We’re grateful to the Premier League for serving up more solid facepalm material.
Exhibit A: Manchester United’s Diogo Dalot missing this chance at West Ham…
Exhibit B: Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak failing to make the simplest of passes to a wide-open Joelinton during a 2-1 loss to Chelsea…
And Exhibit C: worst of all, Brighton’s Mats Wieffer finding himself in this four-versus-one attacking position in stoppage time, only to lose possession and invite an immediate equaliser from Wolverhampton Wanderers. Say hello to the ‘Bananenschale’.
Around The Athletic FC
- The 2024 Ballon d’Or will be awarded in Paris this evening. Despite Real’s annihilation by Barca, Vincius Junior looks nailed on for the men’s trophy. The Ballon d’Or pays no prize money, but Phil Buckingham has been looking into the difference it can make to a player commercially.
- Ronwen Williams is up for the 2024 Yashin Trophy, awarded to football’s top goalkeeper. The 32-year-old plays for Mamelodi Sundowns in South Africa, and he’s the first Africa-based player to be shortlisted.
- Some terrible news from MLS: Holden Trent, one of Philadelphia Union’s keepers, has died at the age of 25. Philly signed Trent in the 2023 MLS draft.
- Saudi Arabia is currently the only bidder for the 2034 World Cup. A group of human rights organisations have criticised a 39-page report released by FIFA about the bid, describing it as “flawed”.
- Inter Milan 4 Juventus 4 was a riot of a Serie A game. James Horncastle loved it.
- Most clicked in Friday’s TAFC: Roberto Mancini parting company with Saudi Arabia.
Quiz question
We’ve worked you hard with our last few quiz questions. Friday’s was: excluding games involving Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, which are the five most-played Premier League matches?
The answers were: Aston Villa vs Everton, Everton vs Newcastle, Everton vs West Ham, Villa vs Newcastle and Newcastle vs West Ham.
Catch a match (times ET/UK)
La Liga: Mallorca vs Athletic Bilbao, 4pm/8pm — ESPN+, Fubo/Premier Sports.
MLS Cup playoffs, round 1: FC Cincinnati vs New York City, 6.45pm/10.45pm — MLS Season Pass, Fox Sports, Fubo/Apple TV; Seattle Sounders vs Houston Dynamo, 9pm/1am — MLS Season Pass, Fox Sports, Fubo/Apple TV.
