It took a long time, but it finally happened – Manchester United released Erik ten Hag.

This is a huge story. Let’s get straight to the point.

The end for Erik ten Hag

James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images

Erik ten Hag was 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 there was never a straw that broke the camel’s back.

That was until yesterdayas United lost 2-1 at West Ham United. Ten Hag lamented the nature of the late penalty that led to defeat, and rightly so, but the wellspring of excuses had all but dried up. His team had 11 points from nine games. They finished 14th in the table. He had to go – and this morning he did, having been sacked after more than two years at the helm.

Some will say this should have happened a long time ago. While it delivered two trophies, Ten Hag’s reign was a dismal failure. From recruitment to tactics to public relations, he seemed completely out of his depth – bizarrely, given the cohesive nature of a team he had built in his previous job at Ajax.

Some will also say that United’s minority shareholder, INEOS, should take responsibility some astonishingly bad decisions: firstly, the clumsy manner in which it clung to Ten Hag all summer, despite the overtures of Thomas Tuchel and others, and secondly, its inaction and wasted the first quarter of this Premier League season.

We’ll delve deeper into this story later this week. The most important question we will all ask ourselves: Who’s next?

Tuchel has taken the England job. Roberto De Zerbi, another United manager under consideration in the close season, is in Marseille. United like Brentford’s Thomas Frank and in the background at Old Trafford is Ten Hag’s recently appointed assistant and former United goal machine. Ruud van Nistelrooy. He is now interim boss.

For all the latest updates, check out our live blog as it continues to develop. We’ll be back much more tomorrow…

Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images

At Real Madrid, cigars are reserved for the manager Carlo Ancelottihis typical way of celebrating whenever the good times come. At Real Madrid they tend to roll regularly.

But on Saturday, the only person in Madrid who was emitting cigar smoke (or something that looked like cigar smoke) was Wojciech SzczesnyBarcelona’s substitute goalkeeper. The Pole toasted the brutal 4-0 win against Real as best he could. Barca will remember their capture of the Bernabeu for years to come. In reality, it won’t be forgotten so quickly.

El Clasico never disappointsbut it rarely leaves a team as anemic as Ancelotti’s players. Real defend the defending champions from La Liga and Champions League, with Kylian Mbappe as their new partner. But from day one of this season it seemed that way Not everything is perfect behind the scenes. Saturday confirmed those suspicions, leaving Real six points behind Barca’s torrid pace in the La Liga table.

Managing one of La Liga’s two big teams can be a volatile business – “We always live with our suitcases at the door” That’s how Real’s coaches have described it before – but Ancelotti’s job should have been one of the safest in Europe. It looks like he’ll have to let the candle burn out at both ends before he can light cigars again. Barca’s spectacular changing of the guard is no flash in the pan.

The Mbappe problem

A few weeks ago, Tifo Football’s Alex Barker poked his head out and asked: Is Mbappe making Real worse?

If Mbappe doesn’t make Real worseHe hasn’t really made them any better – yet. His Clasico debut was a mess: It was ruled offside eight times (This equals a La Liga record) as Barca’s high line kept overtaking Real. It was pretty much the only data point where he made an impact, as can be seen from his player dashboard above.

Barca turned the breakthrough after the break and scored four goals. including another from the irrepressible Raphinha. He does what Mbappe would like to do. Real’s collapse was notable because there is unrest in the dressing room over their physical preparation and tensions among Ancelotti’s staff. Reports of unrest before the game were not a helpful distraction.

Guillermo Rai’s excellent article on Real pointed out that the club’s executives are not expected to make any imminent decisions about Ancelotti’s future. The fact that Guillermo felt the need to check this says it all – when a boss at one of the Spanish giants goes into crisis, it tends to spin quickly.

As for Barca, they dominated La Liga. Don’t forget: They finished last season 10 points behind Real Madrid. Financially they are constantly in crisis.

Lamine YamalThe 17-year-old became the youngest goalscorer in the Clasico on Saturday. It was deeply disappointing that he was also the victim of alleged racial abuse. He didn’t downplay the result, God love him. “We believe we are the best team in the world,” he said.

Six players from coach Hansi Flick’s starting eleven were 22 years old or younger, including Yamal. Five came through their La Masia academythe world’s outstanding production line. Ex-Barca defender Gerard Pique took the opportunity to repress X (“We are unique. You can never be like us,” he posted) and Real can only suck it up. Not close for Ancelotti. And certainly not a cigar.

Salah’s Indian summer

I read with interest Ahmed Walid’s positive review of Mohamed Salah, in which he argues that Salah is more effective for Liverpool than ever before. When you think about it, that’s a bold statement how great he was for Jürgen Klopp.

But Salah seems determined producing the time of his life. His late goal (above) earned Liverpool a 2-2 draw against Arsenal in yesterday’s big Premier League game. The run that led to it was so intelligent, as was Darwin Nunez’s assist.

Mo Salah equalizes for Liverpool! 🔴 pic.twitter.com/d25GlFIwnK

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 27, 2024

Neither Liverpool nor Arsenal will view a point at the Emirates as a bad result. However, it is a better result for Manchester City, who top the table. Mikel Arteta won’t be happy to see his side falter towards the end, but the sight is a far greater concern for him Defenders Gabriel and Jurrien Timber limped out of the game.

Defensive stability was Arsenal’s strength. Timber did a good job with Salah before his forced exit. Arteta needs good news on the injury front – A five-point gap to City will not close itself.

Mysterious failures

Poor Harry Clarke. He is an Ipswich lad who made his Premier League debut for Ipswich Town at Brentford. He scored an own goal, conceded a penalty and was then sent off, whereupon he should have climbed back into bed and pulled the covers over his head.

But TAFC I would hate for Clarke to think that the rest of the world is perfect. We’re grateful to the Premier League for providing us with more solid facepalm footage.

Appendix A: Manchester United’s Diogo Dalot misses out on this chance at West Ham…

Appendix B: Newcastle United Alexander Isaac In a 2-1 loss to Chelsea, he failed to make the simplest pass to a wide-open Joelinton…

And Exhibit C: Worst of all is Brighton Mats Wieffer In stoppage time he found himself in this four-on-one attacking position, but then lost the ball and demanded an immediate equalizer from Wolverhampton Wanderers. Say hello to the banana peel.

All about Athletic FC

Quiz question

We have trained you hard with our latest quiz questions. Friday was: without games involving Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur. What are the five most played Premier League games?

The answers were: Aston Villa vs Everton, Everton vs Newcastle, Everton vs West Ham, Villa vs Newcastle and Newcastle vs West Ham.

Catch a Game (ET/UK Times)

La Liga: Mallorca vs Athletic Bilbao4:00 p.m./8:00 p.m. – ESPN+, Fubo/Premier Sports.

MLS Cup Playoffs, Round 1: FC Cincinnati vs. New York City6:45 p.m./10:45 p.m. – MLS Season Pass, Fox Sports, Fubo/Apple TV; Seattle Sounders vs. Houston Dynamo, 9:00 p.m./1:00 a.m. – MLS Season Pass, Fox Sports, Fubo/Apple TV.