The Cork native posted a picture of himself looking displeased during a rainy walk, with the caption: “In good teams, coaches hold players accountable. In great teams, players hold players accountable.”

Ten Hag’s successor will be the sixth permanent manager since Sir Alex Ferguson’s 2013 retirement.



Former United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy is expected to step in as interim manager, while the club is reportedly in talks with Sporting Lisbon’s highly regarded coach Ruben Amorim to take on the role full-time.

Known for his no-nonsense commentary, Keane has found success in punditry, though his own coaching career was less celebrated. He has, however, left the door open to returning to management someday.

After United narrowly defeated Championship club Coventry City in last season’s FA Cup final, Keane commented, “I don’t see character in this group of players, I really don’t. I’m almost disliking them. They have bad habits and seemed afraid to win. Manchester United looked like a Championship team in extra time while Coventry resembled a Premier League side.”

Ten Hag’s first season was promising, with United finishing third and winning their first major trophy in six years by defeating Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final. However, they dropped to eighth in his second season, fuelling speculation that new part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe might sack him. A thrilling FA Cup victory over Manchester City ultimately saved Ten Hag’s job.

This season, however, United’s form has been poor, with the club languishing in 14th place after a 2-1 loss to West Ham on Sunday – which ultimately was enough for INEOS to sack the Dutch manager after two seasons at the club.

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Hello reader, I'm Ben. I love to write and talk about sports and I am, unfortunately, hopeless at golf. Thanks for reading! 

Ben Lynch