When Erik ten Hag was appointed as the Manchester United manager, he insisted that “eras come to an end” as he aimed to bring an end to Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp’s dominance in English football.
In his first media address in May 2022, following his appointment as the manager of Old Trafford, Ten Hag discussed his task of rebuilding the Red Devils.
The former Ajax coach expressed his admiration for his Premier League managerial rivals, Guardiola and Klopp, who have been prominent figures in English football, leading Manchester City and Liverpool in recent seasons.
“I admire them both. They play fantastic football. But eras come to an end,” Ten Hag commented on Guardiola and Klopp. When asked if that era could be brought to a close before they depart from their current roles, he responded, “I think so, yes.”
His statements appear to be far from reality, as he now faces divided opinions about whether he should be dismissed just halfway into his second season in Manchester.
The Dutchman’s job has come under intense scrutiny in recent weeks, with a string of underwhelming performances leading to nine losses, 21 rounds into the Premier League season.
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As a result, Manchester United currently languish in ninth place, nowhere near posing a threat to the dominance of Guardiola and Klopp in English football.
Furthermore, the Red Devils were eliminated from the Carabao Cup by Newcastle United following a 3-0 loss at Old Trafford.
The humiliation did not stop there, United crashed out of the Champions League in the group stage – in a group that also had Bayern Munich, Galatasaray, and FC Copenhagen.
