Erik ten Hag has no room to use Jose Mourinho excuse that cost him Chelsea job

The excuses made for 2016 dismissal - that he wasn't supported and had a shortened pre-season - don't hold up for .

After a lengthy process a one-year extension, and , Ten Hag has finally been . Partially responsible for his sacking was ex-Red Devils boss Mourinho, in the last week.

The Portuguese manager experienced a similar fate to Ten Hag in 2016 when he was sacked just seven months after clinching the league title at Stamford Bridge. However, he had excuses, while Ten Hag did not.

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After stints with Inter and , Mourinho returned to the Blues eight years ago, having departed in 2007. He then led his side to more league title glory in May 2015, suffering only three defeats throughout the season.

However, the Portuguese boss relied on a core group of players who aided him in winning this league title despite a lack of squad depth. With his relationship with then-owner Roman Abramovich tarnished from his first stint, Mourinho was unlikely to receive significant financial backing going into the following season, reports .

This forced him to truncate his pre-season from the standard six weeks to a mere three-and-a-half, allowing his main squad some downtime before their title defence. However, this strategy didn't pan out.

The players simply couldn't regain full fitness in time, no fresh talent was recruited, and Mourinho, much like Ten Hag, only lasted until around winter time before being shown the door.

In contrast, Ten Hag experienced a vastly different summer as he entered this pivotal season, with pressure mounting on the back of a all-time worst finish. He received backing from new minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe, with over £200million splashed on new recruits, and had the benefit of a complete pre-season.

This perfect preparation, underscored by the faith placed in the Dutchman through his one-year extension, only highlights how poorly Ten Hag was performing at Old Trafford. The club's statement released upon his dismissal suggests that the hunt is on for the next manager, and United's hierarchy will need to nail this appointment if they hope to right the ship.

"Erik ten Hag has left his role as men's first-team manager," read a club statement. "Erik was appointed in April 2022 and led the club to two domestic trophies, winning the Carabao Cup in 2023 and the in 2024.

"We are grateful to Erik for everything he has done during his time with us and wish him well for the future. Ruud van Nistelrooy will take charge of the team as interim head coach, supported by the current coaching team, whilst a permanent head coach is recruited."

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