Following Monday’s announcement that Erik ten Hag’s two-and-a-half year reign as Manchester United manager has come to an end, Ben Bloom picks 10 games that defined the Dutchman’s time at Old Trafford.

August 13, 2022 – Brentford 4-0 Man Utd, Premier League

Less than a week after losing his first league game as manager – a 2-1 home defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion – Ten Hag suffered another embarrassment at the hands of a Brentford team starting only their second season in the top flight.

United scored all four goals in the first 35 minutes, prompting Ten Hag to make three substitutions at half-time and admit: “I changed three but I could have changed them all.”

That left United bottom of the Premier League table, prompting the angry new manager to invite his players for extra fitness training the next day.

February 23, 2023 – Man Utd 2-1 Barcelona, ​​UEFA Europa League

After recovering from that poor start and leading United to third place in the Premier League table, Ten Hag was tasked with the mammoth task of competing in the UEFA Europa League knockout round play-offs to compete against European heavyweights Barcelona.

United managed a 2-2 draw in the away leg but ran into trouble when Robert Lewandowski scored after 18 minutes in the second leg at Old Trafford.

Brazilian duo Fred and Antony (below) then scored second-half goals to secure a 4-3 aggregate win that was reminiscent of some of United’s great European nights.

They would eventually lose to Sevilla in the quarterfinals.

February 26, 2023 – Man Utd 2-0 Newcastle, EFL Cup Final

Just three days after Barcelona’s morale-boosting victory, Ten Hag won his first trophy in English football when United comfortably defeated Newcastle United in the EFL Cup final at Wembley Stadium.

Casemiro and Marcus Rashford each scored before half-time to secure the club’s first silverware since 2017.

Having just beaten the eventual Spanish champions, lifted a domestic trophy and were firmly on course for a return to the UEFA Champions League, Ten Hag’s transformation of the club seemed complete. But the joy was short-lived.

March 5, 2023 – Liverpool 7-0 Man Utd, Premier League

No sooner had the celebration of the Wembley triumph died down than Ten Hag suffered the ultimate humiliation by equalizing the club’s record defeat with a 7-0 loss to arch-rivals Liverpool.

Only a goal behind at half-time, United capitulated in shocking fashion as Liverpool raged in the second half.

December 9, 2023 – Man Utd 0-3 AFC Bournemouth, Premier League

At the start of the 2023/24 season, United fans have already suffered Premier League home defeats to Brighton, Crystal Palace and Manchester City, but none have compared to the ignominy of the Old Trafford defeat to Bournemouth two weeks before Christmas.

Ten Hag’s selection had caused a stir when he chose to remember the failed Anthony Martial, and the Frenchman’s substitution at the start of the second half sparked celebrations from the home fans.

The result would be Ten Hag’s biggest loss at Old Trafford.

April 4, 2024 – Chelsea 4-3 Man Utd, Premier League

A defeat the likes of which had never been seen in the Premier League.

Two goals from Alejandro Garnacho and another from Bruno Fernandes helped United overturn an early two-goal deficit after 99 minutes and 17 seconds.

When Cole Palmer completed his Chelsea hat-trick with two goals, he also scored the youngest winning goal in Premier League history.

That goal followed a 99th-minute equalizer from Brentford in United’s final league game.

May 6, 2024 – Crystal Palace 4-0 Man Utd, Premier League

With their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League long lost, Ten Hag’s side were fighting for the marginal European Cup places when they were knocked out at Selhurst Park.

A shocking defensive performance left Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze on the rampage and United’s poor run in the league ended with just one win in seven.

Ten Hag admitted the defeat was the lowest of his tenure and told United’s players they had “let each other down”.

May 25, 2024 – Man City 1-2 Man Utd, FA Cup Final

A week after Man City won their last Premier League title, Pep Guardiola’s side were expected to add the FA Cup trophy to their haul and potentially end Ten Hag’s time at the helm of United would.

Instead, United claimed their second cup triumph of the Dutchman’s era after coming within inches of elimination against Coventry City in the semi-final.

The victory over their nearest rival gave United fans renewed hope, but there was still a huge surprise when the manager extended his contract by a year six weeks later.

September 29, 2024 – Man Utd 0-3 Spurs, Premier League

Having found themselves in the bottom half of the Premier League table after five games, United suffered such a humiliating defeat in front of their home fans that Ten Hag’s position seemed untenable to many.

United were weak from the start and their task became significantly more difficult when captain Fernandes was sent off just before half-time.

What was most worrying, however, was the manner in which they performed in the first half: Ten Hag’s side were overrun and putting pressure on a manager who appeared to be on borrowed time.

October 27, 2024 – West Ham 2-1 Man Utd, Premier League

What would prove to be the final game of the Ten Hag era might as well have ended in a United win had the visitors taken their chances.

Rasmus Hojlund, Rashford and Garnacho all had opportunities to put Man Utd ahead in a dominant first half, but a late penalty from Jarrod Bowen handed defeat to the profligate Ten Hag side.

The result was the straw that broke the camel’s back, with the Dutchman managing just three wins and three draws in the Europa League in United’s first nine league games of the season.