7 Man Utd bombshells that emerged after Erik ten Hag sacking as Ruben Amorim confirmed

With Ruben Amorim now confirmed as Erik ten Hag's replacement at Manchester United, Mirror Football is running through the various bombshells that have emerged in the wake of Dutchman's exit

In a week that Manchester United fans won't soon forget, Erik ten Hag's abrupt sacking has left a trail of bombshells larger than the gaping holes in the Old Trafford roof.

The Dutchman was given his marching orders on Monday in the aftermath of United's 2-1 defeat to West Ham. The club moved quickly to appoint a replacement, and on Friday officially confirmed Sporting CP head coach Ruben Amorim as Ten Hag's replacement.

With the dust still settling on his departure, talk of dressing room unrest, failed transfer plots, and awkward standoffs have begun to surface, painting a rather chaotic picture of the Dutchman's turbulent reign. With two cup triumphs under his belt, Ten Hag will go down as one of the more successful coaches United have had post-Sir Alex Ferguson.

But the fallout from his exit suggests his legacy will be singed with notes of frustration and unfulfillment too. With that in mind, Mirror Football is running through seven bombshell revelations that have come to light since Ten Hag was kicked to the curb.

Feeling 'let down' by three senior stars

Despite clinching the FA Cup at the end of last season, the 2023/24 campaign was a colossal disappointment for Ten Hag and United. Top quality performances were few and far between, and their record against elite opposition such as Manchester City, Arsenal and Bayern Munich was nothing to write home about.

The problems, evidently, were club-wide, but according to the Daily Star, Ten Hag feels particularly let down by Marcus Rashford, Casemiro and Antony. Both Rashford and Casemiro had stellar 2022/23 campaigns, but failed to carry their form over into the following season.

Rashford for example scored just eight goals in all competitions, having netted 30 the season before, while Casemiro endured a significant amount of criticism across the campaign. Antony, who played under Ten Hag at Ajax, has completely failed to justify the gigantic £82million fee United paid for him, a fee that Ten Hag reportedly urged the club to pay, in spite of internal reservations.

Sack bill hits £70m

United just haven’t been able to get it right on the manager front since Ferguson’s retirement in 2013. Amorim is the club’s seven permanent boss in just over a decade, with Ten Hag’s sacking taking the total severance bill in that time to beyond £70m.

It's believed that the Dutchman will pocket around £17.5m in compensation, just four months after the club activated a one-year extension on his contract. This sum is reportedly £7.5m more than what United would have had to fork out had they let him go in the summer.

Ten Hag’s transfer frustration

The Red Devils spent more than £500m across Ten Hag's two-and-a-half-year spell, but few of those signings have represented true value for money. However, the 54-year-old was left frustrated by the club’s failure to land many of his top targets, including Harry Kane, who left Tottenham for Bayern Munich instead.

According to ESPN, Ten Hag voiced his annoyance about other transfer failures to INEOS. Three midfield targets didn't end up making the move, with Alexis Mac Allister joining Liverpool from Brighton in 2023, and both Fede Valverde and Frenkie de Jong remaining at Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively.

Ronaldo row went too far

Cristiano Ronaldo lasted less than six months under Ten Hag before having his contract terminated following his explosive interview to Piers Morgan, in which he criticised a number of club figures.

Ten Hag's frustration with Ronaldo peaked when the forward refused to come off the bench during a match against Tottenham. The majority of the squad agreed with Ten Hag's decision to reprimand the player - but many felt his treatment of the now-Al-Nassr forward went too far.

Ronaldo was told to train away from the first team but Ten Hag then banned the five-time Ballon d'Or winner from entering the dressing room altogether. ESPN reported that Ronaldo had to ask an academy player to go in and grab a pair of trainers he had left in there.

Unusual charm offensive

Frenkie de Jong was a player Ten Hag was desperate to sign throughout his stint at Old Trafford. After several failed attempts, United resorted to an unusual charm offensive in a bid to prise the midfielder away from Barcelona.

According to the Athletic, United made a mock-up video of him wearing a red United shirt alongside some of the club's greatest players. However, rather embarrassingly, De Jong never actually saw the video for reasons unknown.

Instead, the club blew roughly £180m trying to resolve their midfield problems in other ways. Casemiro, Mason Mount and Manuel Ugarte all came in for large fees, and have all been a disappointment in one form or another.

De Gea’s subtle dig

David de Gea took a subtle swipe at Ten Hag on X shortly after news of his sacking broke. The Spanish goalkeeper posted a two pinched fingers emoji, often used in Italian parlance to mean disagreement, frustration or disbelief.

The goalkeeper, now in Serie A with Fiorentina, was let go by Ten Hag in the summer of 2023, having been ousted for former Ajax keeper Andre Onana, who took his place as United’s number one.

Welbeck wanted

There have been plenty of question marks over United’s transfer strategy in recent season, but suggestions Ten Hag wanted to bring Brighton striker Danny Welbeck back to Old Trafford raised more than a few eyebrows. According to reports, United seriously contemplated signing the 33-year-old, who joined the club at the age of 11, progressed through the academy, and made 142 appearances before transferring to Arsenal in 2014.

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