Erik Ten Hag was sacked at Manchester United for Two Reasons, reveals ex-Liverpool ace Ryan Babel

Add as a preferred source on Google

Former Ajax and Liverpool forward Ryan Babel has shared his perspective on why Erik ten Hag's tenure as Manchester United manager ended prematurely.

Despite an impressive debut season, Ten Hag was dismissed in October after a difficult start to his third campaign, leaving United struggling in 14th place in the Premier League.

The former Netherlands attacker, who played under Ten Hag at Ajax, believes two significant factors contributed to Ten Hag's downfall - transfer challenges and tactical rigidity.

Transfer Setbacks

Babel highlighted the impact of Ten Hag's inability to secure his top transfer targets, which forced him to settle for alternative options.

"Did he spend money? Yes, he did. But I also think that he missed out on some of the players that he really, really wanted while he was at Manchester United. There were occasions where he couldn't get his top targets and had to divert to plan B, plan C. Maybe the players he was presented with couldn't execute the type of football he wanted to play," Babel was quoted as saying to Instant Casino.

This lack of alignment between Ten Hag's vision and the squad's capabilities may have undermined his tactical approach, leading to inconsistency and frustration on the pitch. There were many signings which never came to fruition and the eventual players whom they managed to buy couldn't provide at the level he expected.

Tactical Inflexibility

Babel also criticized Ten Hag's inability to adapt his tactics to the demands of the Premier League, describing it as a fundamental issue. While praising the Dutchman's coaching skills and football vision, he noted the challenges of transitioning from Dutch football to England's top flight.

"I do know that he is a great coach, he has a great vision, he has a great eye for football but, again, the Premier League is a different ball game to the Dutch way of playing,' Babel added.

Defensive frailties emerged as a glaring weakness under Ten Hag, with his team conceding 85 goals in all competitions during his second season-United's worst defensive record since 1978-79. Babel suggested that this inability to stabilize the team defensively reflected a broader failure to adjust his strategies effectively.

A Promising Start That Faded for Ten Hag at Man United

Ten Hag's initial success, including winning the Carabao Cup and securing a third-place league finish, seemed to position him as a long-term solution for United. However, a poor second season and a disastrous start to his third campaign - including one win in five league matches ultimately sealed his fate.