Man Utd manager's seven-word admission upon being sacked summed up what job meant to him

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Many Manchester United fans breathed a sigh of relief when Erik ten Hag was shown the door last year - but the feeling wasn't mutual. The Dutchman, dismissed exactly a year ago today after a dismal start to the season, made his emotions clear in the days that followed his departure.

In an open letter to United supporters , Ten Hag admitted that "the dream has come to an end." He went on to thank fans for their "unshakeable" support and said he would "cherish" the memories of his two trophy-winning triumphs in the FA Cup and League Cup .

"Dear fans, let me start by thanking you," he wrote. "Thank you for always being there for the club. Whether it was at a game far away or a tough match at Old Trafford, your support has been unshakeable."

He continued: "We won two trophies - achievements that I will cherish for the rest of my life. Of course, my dream was to bring more trophies to the cabinet. Unfortunately, the dream has come to an end.

"I wish all Manchester United fans nothing but success, trophies and glory. Your support and the warmth I received from everyone at the club helped me feel at home. Thank you for this chapter in my life, Erik."

Ten Hag spent just over two years at the helm. Despite becoming the first United manager to lift a trophy since Jose Mourinho in 2017, his tenure was ultimately defined by inconsistency.

Brief bursts of promise were often undone by long spells of poor form, with Ten Hag struggling to reproduce the fluency and attacking edge that defined his Ajax side. He guided United to League Cup glory in 2023, beating Newcastle 2-0 in the final and reached the FA Cup final later that same season.

United fell short against neighbours Manchester City on that occasion, but they exacted revenge 12 months later, defeating City to claim the 2024 FA Cup. That victory ultimately saved Ten Hag's job - at least temporarily - after United stumbled to an eighth-place finish in the Premier League that year.

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A dreadful start to the 2024/25 campaign, however, left United owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe with little choice but to pull the trigger. Days later, Ruben Amorim was announced as Ten Hag's replacement.

A year has passed since Ten Hag's departure, yet United, for the most part, remain as turbulent as ever. Amorim did little to stop the rot last season, with the club slumping to a record-low 15th-place finish in the league. To compound their misery, they were beaten by Tottenham in the Europa League final, a defeat that cost them a place in the Champions League .

The 2025/26 campaign began in similarly stuttering fashion, but three consecutive league wins - against Brighton , Liverpool and Sunderland - have offered a glimmer of hope that the tide may finally be turning for both Amorim and United.

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This weekend, the Red Devils travel to Nottingham Forest , where victory would secure a fourth straight win, something they haven't achieved in nearly two years. After that, they'll have the chance to take revenge on Spurs before heading into the final international break of the year.

Now, Amorim stands at a crossroads. Sustain this newfound momentum and he could yet transform his tenure into the very "dream" Ten Hag once envisioned - restoring belief, stability and a sense of direction at Old Trafford.

But if United slip back into old habits, the mood could sour just as quickly. And as history has shown, inconsistency at Manchester United rarely goes unpunished.

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