Former Manchester United defender Jaap Stam believes the club dismissed Erik ten Hag unfairly and that he deserved more time to turn the team’s fortunes around. The Red Devils currently languish in the bottom half of the Premier League table, leading to Ten Hag’s sacking on Monday following a disappointing defeat to West Ham.
Stam highlighted that despite surviving speculation about his future in the summer, Ten Hag’s position became untenable as results failed to improve in the early weeks of the current season. While the manager secured his job with an FA Cup victory last May, the club’s poor start to the new campaign ultimately sealed his fate.
Reflecting on the timing of the decision, Stam expressed that the club should have made a change earlier if they had doubts about Ten Hag’s capabilities. “If they wanted to remove Erik ten Hag as manager, then they should have done it in the summer,” he stated. He criticized the club for granting Ten Hag a new contract before the season and then swiftly parting ways with him. “The way it was done at this moment in time was a harsh decision and, for me, done a bit quickly,” he added.
A series of poor results has marred Ten Hag’s tenure, beginning last season when the team recorded its lowest-ever Premier League finish and ended the campaign with a negative goal difference.
Stam also placed some of the blame on the club’s ownership and hierarchy, which has undergone significant changes recently under INEOS. He emphasized that while the manager holds responsibility for team performance, the organization must address systemic issues. “The United players clearly need to step up and they haven’t been performing at the level they should have been,” he said. “The recruitment and getting the right players in for the correct system and style of play has been lacking.”
Stam’s comments underscore a broader concern about the club’s direction as they seek to reclaim their status among the elite in English football.
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