Former Manchester United defender Phil Jones has spoken out regarding the club's decision to dismiss Erik ten Hag, suggesting that the Dutch coach may have grown increasingly frustrated during his final days at Old Trafford. Ten Hag's tenure came to an end after a period of intense speculation that saw Manchester United's Premier League standing plummet to 14th place.

Jones, who found himself marginalized by Ten Hag following his arrival in 2022, shared his perspective on the manager's departure and his experience playing under him in an interview with BBC's Planet Premier League. He remarked, "I think he's very proud of what he did at Ajax and I think he backed himself to make good decisions." However, Jones also acknowledged that towards the end of Ten Hag's time at United, he might have become "a bit irritated by people questioning him." The ex-United player pointed out that Manchester United's struggles began well before Ten Hag's arrival, tracing back to the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013. Jones lamented the loss of the club's identity over the years and emphasized the need to return to the basics of solid, compact, and hard-to-beat football. Ruben Amorim is rumored to be the club's top choice to replace Ten Hag, with Manchester United reportedly preparing to trigger the €10 million (£8.5m) release clause in his contract with Sporting Lisbon. Jones, who retired from professional football in August and has been assisting the club's youth teams, highlighted the importance of the club's core personnel who understand its inner workings. As Manchester United moves closer to finalizing a deal with Amorim, the club continues to search for stability and a return to their former glory. The team's recent 5-2 victory over Leicester, with goals from Casemiro, Bruno Fernandes, and Alejandro Garnacho, showcased a dominant performance in the absence of Ten Hag. United is set to face Tottenham in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals following Tottenham's 2-1 victory over Manchester City.