Manchester United blame game leaves one clear culprit after Erik ten Hag sacking

Manchester United fans clearly saw the writing on the wall after Erik ten Hag's loss to West Ham on Sunday, with a majority of Manchester Evening News readers saying that there was nothing he could have done to save his job before the next international break.

Ten Hag was sacked by Sir Jim Ratcliffe's INEOS ownership group on Monday after a poor start to the season failed to live up to the expectations set by a summer of big spending. Ruud van Nistelrooy will step up as interim manager while a new permanent head coach is being sought. MEN Sport understands Sporting coach Ruben Amorim has agreed in principle to become the next United manager.

A poll of our readers after the match on Sunday was pessimistic about Ten Hag's chances of remaining in his post for much longer. Nearly 60 per cent thought there was nothing the Dutchman could do or say that would give him a stay of execution - and that was quickly proven to be correct.

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Just under 18% of readers thought that only four wins from the next four games before the next international break would persuade the Manchester United top brass to give him another chance. Nearly 23% thought that winning the next two Premier League games could allow him to stay in the post he'd occupied since the start of the 2022/23 season.

After the loss at West Ham on Sunday, Ten Hag said that he felt it was "unjust and unfair" that his team lost. A controversial late penalty by Jarrod Bowen, after VAR intervention, sealed Manchester United's fourth defeat of the season.

Readers were mixed on the VAR decision that ended up sealing the Dutch manager's fate the following day: 48% thought that there was only so much he could do in the face of penalty decisions and his own team's missed chances on the day, and 52% said that the buck stopped with him, regardless of what happens on the pitch.

As for the question of whose fault the loss was, Ten Hag carried the can, but you thought that both United's attackers and VAR shared equal amounts of blame for the defeat.

As for the future, MEN Sport understands United and Sporting are negotiating a compensation package, with the 39-year-old Portuguese convinced to succeed Ten Hag.

Past and present Premier League coaches Graham Potter, Kieran McKenna, Marco Silva, and Thomas Frank are also regularly named as potential options. Edin Terzic, Massimiliano Allegri, Xavi Hernandez, and Zinedine Zidane have been touted from afar, as have former United managers Michael Carrick and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Have your say! When do you think that Erik ten Hag's fate was sealed? Comment below, and join in on the conversation.