ERIK TEN HAG BREAKS SILENCE ON MAN UNITED SACKING AS HE ACCUSES INEOS OF BREAKING THEIR PROMISE

ERIK TEN HAG BREAKS SILENCE ON MAN UNITED SACKING AS HE ACCUSES INEOS OF BREAKING THEIR PROMISE

 

Erik ten Hag has finally opened up about his turbulent spell at Manchester United, claiming that INEOS failed to honour promises made to him before his eventual dismissal in October 2024.

 

The Dutchman has also revealed how the club’s decision to sell Scott McTominay left him feeling “very embarrassed” and disappointed, despite his objections to the midfielder’s departure.

 

Ten Hag was appointed Manchester United manager in 2022 and spent two seasons attempting to rebuild the team. Although he secured the Carabao Cup in his first campaign and lifted the FA Cup in 2024, his time at Old Trafford ultimately ended following a difficult start to the 2024/25 Premier League season.

 

United had managed just three victories from their opening nine league matches when the club decided to part ways with him.

 

However, his latest comments suggest that the problems behind the scenes may have been just as frustrating as the results on the pitch.

 

TEN HAG CLAIMS INEOS BROKE THEIR PROMISE

 

In an interview with The Athletic published on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, Ten Hag reflected on his relationship with Manchester United’s leadership and the events that eventually led to his departure.

 

According to the former Ajax manager, discussions with the club’s officials during a holiday in Ibiza had left him believing that he would receive the support necessary to continue building his team.

 

United had exercised an additional one-year option in his contract following their FA Cup triumph over Manchester City, but Ten Hag wanted greater certainty about his future.

 

He explained that he was unwilling to continue with only one year remaining on his deal and insisted that he needed a stronger commitment from the club.

 

Ten Hag claimed that the discussions involved promises of loyalty, backing and improved communication between the manager and the club’s leadership.

 

However, he now believes those commitments were not fulfilled.

 

The former United manager said the club had assured him that both parties would work together and remain aligned on important decisions, particularly during transfer windows.

 

Instead, he felt that several decisions went against the understanding reached during their discussions.

 

His comments offer a glimpse into the disagreements that existed behind the scenes during his final months at Old Trafford.

 

SCOTT MCTOMINAY’S DEPARTURE LEFT TEN HAG DISAPPOINTED

 

One of the clearest examples Ten Hag provided was Manchester United’s decision to sell Scott McTominay to Napoli in the summer of 2024.

 

The midfielder, who had spent most of his professional career at Old Trafford, was sold for a reported £25.7 million.

 

Although the transfer generated revenue for United, Ten Hag insists that he had made his position clear during discussions with the club’s hierarchy.

 

He did not want McTominay to leave because he believed the Scotland international offered qualities that were difficult to replace.

 

Ten Hag particularly valued the midfielder’s ability to score goals, his mentality and his strong connection to Manchester United.

 

With concerns about the team’s attacking output, he viewed McTominay as an important player who could contribute goals from midfield.

 

The Dutchman therefore opposed the sale when the subject was raised.

 

According to Ten Hag, the agreement in Ibiza was that McTominay would remain at the club, yet United eventually proceeded with the transfer.

 

He admitted that the decision left him feeling embarrassed and disappointed.

 

For a manager who believed he had secured the backing of the club’s leadership, losing a player he specifically wanted to retain was clearly frustrating.

 

McTominay’s departure was particularly significant because the midfielder had developed a reputation for producing important goals, including several decisive contributions during his final season at United.

 

Ten Hag believed those qualities made him valuable to the squad, even as the club pursued changes to its playing personnel.

 

Ultimately, the midfielder moved to Napoli, bringing his long association with Manchester United to an end.

 

WHY TEN HAG VALUED MCTOMINAY SO HIGHLY

 

McTominay was more than just another midfielder in Ten Hag’s squad.

 

The Scotland international had come through Manchester United’s academy and spent years working his way into the first team.

 

His familiarity with the club, physical presence and ability to arrive in the penalty area made him a useful option in midfield.

 

Ten Hag believed the midfielder’s goalscoring ability was especially important because United needed more players capable of contributing in the final third.

 

He also highlighted McTominay’s mentality, describing him as someone who had Manchester United running through his veins.

 

Those qualities help explain why the manager was reluctant to approve his departure.

 

However, Manchester United’s financial and recruitment considerations were also relevant to the situation. The sale of an academy-developed player could generate funds while providing greater flexibility under financial regulations.

 

From the club’s perspective, the transfer was a decision that formed part of its wider squad planning.

 

For Ten Hag, however, the issue went beyond the financial benefits.

 

His account suggests that the disagreement was about whether the manager’s sporting priorities were being respected by the people responsible for making decisions at the club.

 

It remains unclear how much influence the disagreement over McTominay had on the wider relationship between Ten Hag and United’s leadership.

 

Nevertheless, the episode remains a revealing example of the tensions that can arise when a manager’s preferred squad decisions clash with a club’s recruitment strategy.

 

MCTOMINAY EXPLAINED HIS DECISION TO LEAVE UNITED

 

McTominay also offered insight into his departure when he spoke about his final day at Manchester United in an interview with BBC Scotland.

 

The midfielder acknowledged that saying goodbye to the people at Carrington had been difficult after spending 22 years associated with the club.

 

However, he explained that he had reached a point in his career where he needed to make a decision based on his own ambitions.

 

McTominay said he had spoken with Ten Hag before leaving and that the manager had expressed his thoughts about the situation.

 

Despite their conversation, the midfielder believed moving elsewhere was the right step for his career.

 

He made it clear that he wanted to push himself forward rather than allow external circumstances to determine his future.

 

McTominay also spoke positively about his experience at Napoli, explaining that the opportunity to join the Italian side appealed to him because of the supporters, the coach and the players.

 

The decision was a significant one, but he maintained that he had no regrets.

 

His comments suggest that, although Ten Hag wanted him to stay, the midfielder was prepared to embrace a new challenge.

 

The two accounts highlight different perspectives on the same transfer.

 

While Ten Hag viewed McTominay as an important player he wanted to retain, the midfielder saw an opportunity to take the next step in his professional career.

 

TEN HAG’S MANCHESTER UNITED SPELL ENDED IN DISAPPOINTMENT

 

Ten Hag’s departure from Manchester United in October 2024 brought an end to a managerial spell that had produced both silverware and considerable frustration.

 

His first season offered reasons for optimism, with United finishing third in the Premier League and winning the Carabao Cup.

 

The following campaign proved more difficult in the league, although the team recovered to beat Manchester City in the FA Cup final.

 

That victory provided a memorable moment for Ten Hag and his players, but it was not enough to guarantee long-term stability.

 

United struggled during the opening weeks of the 2024/25 season, and the club eventually decided to make a managerial change.

 

The Dutchman has now suggested that the difficulties extended beyond results, pointing to disagreements over recruitment and what he believes were broken promises from the club’s leadership.

 

His latest remarks could reignite debate among Manchester United supporters about the balance of power between managers, executives and recruitment departments.

 

A manager is ultimately judged by results, but building a successful squad also requires agreement over the players who should stay, those who should leave and the qualities needed to improve the team.

 

Ten Hag believes the handling of McTominay’s departure demonstrated that the alignment he had been promised was missing.

 

Whether the decision to sell the midfielder materially contributed to United’s wider struggles remains a matter of debate.

 

What is clear from Ten Hag’s account is that the disagreement left a lasting impression on him.

 

For the former manager, the issue was not simply losing one player. It was the feeling that an agreement reached with the club’s leadership had not been respected.

 

His comments provide another perspective on a turbulent period at Old Trafford, one that ended with his dismissal despite the FA Cup success that had offered a brief moment of celebration just months earlier.