Erik ten Hag was reportedly sacked as Manchester United head coach during a 'respectful and dignified' exchange on Monday morning, but the dismissal is said to have come as a huge surprise to the Dutchman.
Sports Mole were present at Ten Hag's final press conference as Man United manager on Sunday in the aftermath of the 2-1 defeat to West Ham United at the London Stadium.
Ten Hag gave no indication that he was fearing the sack, with the Dutchman looking to the future after a positive first 45 minutes of football at West Ham, and he insisted that the team would eventually click in the final third.
However, the next morning, the ex-Ajax head coach was removed from his position at Old Trafford.
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Ten Hag 'was in the dark' over Man United sacking
According to the Daily Mail, Ten Hag was informed by CEO Omar Berrada and sporting director Dan Ashworth during a 'respectful and dignified' meeting at Carrington that he would be losing his job.
Ten Hag is said to have been 'in the dark over his fate' until Monday morning, but the Dutchman is now looking for a new position, with his time at Old Trafford being brought to a close.
The 54-year-old came close to losing his job over the summer, but Man United chiefs ultimately backed him and decided to extend his contract at Old Trafford until the end of the 2025-26 campaign.
However, the team's results have been disappointing this season, with the 20-time English champions currently sitting down in 14th spot in the Premier League table, boasting only 11 points from nine matches.
Man United have been victorious in just one of their last eight matches in all competitions, with their only success since the middle of September proving to be a 2-1 home win over Brentford.
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Who will replace Ten Hag at Old Trafford?
Sporting Lisbon head coach Ruben Amorim is the clear favourite to arrive at Old Trafford, with the Portuguese already said to have agreed to make the move to the 20-time English champions.
Amorim refused to confirm that he was heading for Man United on Tuesday night, but with the Red Devils willing to pay the €10m (£8.3m) release clause for his services, a deal is expected to be announced in the near future.
Ruud van Nistelrooy was placed in temporary charge of the Red Devils when Ten Hag's dismissal was confirmed, and the Dutchman will lead the team into Wednesday's EFL Cup last-16 contest with Leicester City.
Matt Law
