Rio Ferdinand: “It’s Going to Be Almost Impossible for Ten Hag to Secure a Job Managing a Top European Club After His Recent Sack”
When Manchester United appointed Erik ten Hag in 2022, many hoped the Dutchman would be the figure to restore long-lost glory to Old Trafford. Coming from Ajax with a reputation for tactical intelligence and discipline, he was seen as a coach who could reimpose standards and modernise the team’s playing style. Yet fast-forward to September 2025, and Ten Hag’s managerial career finds itself in a precarious state.
After being sacked just two competitive games into the new season, questions have emerged not only about his time at United but also about his future prospects. Former United captain Rio Ferdinand did not mince his words when reflecting on the situation:
> “It’s going to be almost impossible for Ten Hag to secure a job managing a top European club after his recent sack. There’s no way you can explain being dismissed after two competitive games that would ever make any sense. He needs to take a break for a while. He might be done.”
It is a brutal assessment, but one that captures the sentiment surrounding Ten Hag’s shock dismissal. Let’s examine why Ferdinand’s words hit so hard, what went wrong for Ten Hag, and whether there is any road back for him at the highest level of the game.
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The Shock of the Sack
Managers get sacked all the time in football. It is a brutal business. But rarely do you see a coach removed after just two matches into a competitive season. For Ten Hag, the optics are terrible. Regardless of context—whether it was boardroom disagreements, dressing room unrest, or tactical failings—the raw fact remains: he was given a pre-season, prepared his squad, and then dismissed almost immediately.
From the outside, that timeline suggests one thing: the club had lost complete faith in him. And when a board loses faith that quickly, rival clubs inevitably ask: what really went wrong?
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The Decline From Hope to Despair
Ten Hag’s United tenure began with optimism. In his first season, he guided the club to a Carabao Cup win and a return to the Champions League. He stabilised a leaky defence, introduced structure, and brought back some competitiveness to a squad that had looked adrift under Ole Gunnar Solskjær and Ralf Rangnick.
But cracks began to appear:
Dressing Room Tensions – Reports of conflicts with Cristiano Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho, and other senior players tarnished his image as a man-manager.
Inconsistent Football – United struggled for identity. At times they looked organised; at others, lifeless and overly dependent on moments of individual brilliance.
Big-Game Failures – Results against top-six rivals and European heavyweights were underwhelming, raising doubts about his tactical adaptability.
By the end of the 2024/25 season, United looked no closer to competing with Manchester City, Arsenal, or Liverpool for the league title. Patience wore thin, and when results didn’t immediately improve in 2025/26, the board pulled the trigger.
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Why Ferdinand Says His Reputation Is Damaged
Rio Ferdinand’s comments speak to how football clubs perceive managers. At elite level, perception can be just as important as results. For Ten Hag, the perception now is:
1. Lack of Control – He fell out with multiple senior players, suggesting man-management flaws.
2. Failure Under Pressure – Despite being backed heavily in the transfer market, his signings often underperformed. Antony, for example, has been criticised as one of the most overpriced signings in Premier League history.
3. Short-Term Collapse – Being sacked after two games suggests a total breakdown in trust between him and the board. Other clubs will wonder if he lost the dressing room or if his methods no longer connected.
Ferdinand’s blunt warning—“he might be done”—echoes a truth: once your reputation collapses at a club of United’s stature, it is almost impossible to rehabilitate it quickly.
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Could He Work Again at the Top Level?
Ten Hag is not without credit in the bank. His work at Ajax—where he guided the club to a Champions League semi-final in 2019 with an exciting young squad—remains impressive. He has shown he can build a system and nurture young talent. For that reason, some clubs may still view him as a candidate, albeit outside Europe’s absolute elite.
But Ferdinand’s point is valid. Top European clubs like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, PSG, or even Manchester City demand managers with both recent success and reputational stability. Right now, Ten Hag offers neither.
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The Case for a Break
“He needs to take a break for a while,” Ferdinand insisted. This advice might be the wisest path forward. Rather than rushing into a mid-table Premier League job or a chaotic overseas assignment, Ten Hag could step back, reflect, and rebuild. Many managers have done this successfully:
José Mourinho took time off after Chelsea before winning with Inter and Real Madrid.
Carlo Ancelotti stepped away before rejuvenating his career with Real Madrid (again).
Unai Emery rebuilt his reputation at Villarreal after struggles at Arsenal and PSG.
For Ten Hag, a period of rest could allow him to study modern tactical evolutions, rebuild his energy, and reframe his career narrative.
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Is He Truly “Done”?
Ferdinand’s remark that “he might be done” feels harsh but reflects a common sentiment in football: timing is everything. Being dismissed so early in a season makes it look like a manager was utterly unsalvageable. That stigma could follow him for years.
Yet history shows that managers are rarely ever truly finished. Reputation can be rebuilt with the right opportunity. Ten Hag’s best chance may come not in England but in another league—Germany, the Netherlands, or even Portugal—where expectations are slightly different and he can re-establish his philosophy away from the spotlight.
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The Wider Lesson
Ten Hag’s story also serves as a reminder of the relentless pressures of modern football management:
Clubs expect instant success even when squads need years of rebuilding.
Player power remains strong, and poor relationships can quickly unravel a tenure.
Perception outweighs nuance—few will care about the context of his sacking; they will only see “dismissed after two games.”
In this environment, managers like Ten Hag walk a tightrope. One wrong step can destroy years of hard work.
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Conclusion: A Career at the Crossroads
Rio Ferdinand’s assessment may sound cruel, but it is rooted in reality. Erik ten Hag’s reputation has taken a huge hit. Being sacked after two competitive games into a new season is almost unprecedented at a club of Manchester United’s stature. It makes him a risk for any top European side looking for stability.
For Ten Hag, the path forward is clear but difficult. He must take time, reassess, and perhaps accept that his next job will not be at the very top of European football. Whether he is truly “done” depends on his resilience, his willingness to adapt, and his ability to rebuild trust in his methods.
For now, though, Ferdinand’s words ring true: Erik ten Hag faces an uphill battle to ever manage at the elite level again.
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