Ten Hag reveals INEOS rejected his data advice before sacking him at United

Erik ten Hag has publicly criticised INEOS for dismissing his advice on Manchester United’s data operations, revealing in an interview with The Athletic that the club’s new ownership rejected his input shortly after taking control in February 2024.

Ten Hag, who was sacked by United in November 2024 following three wins from their first nine Premier League matches, said he proactively offered his knowledge to help INEOS build out the club’s analytical infrastructure — only to be rebuffed. “I offered my knowledge and abilities to INEOS to help them to construct, but they were of the opinion that they knew already everything,” the Dutchman said. “They were convinced of, say, the philosophy, the strategy, the work methods. But they came from petrochemicals, from Formula 1, from cycling. Top football demands something totally different.”

The former United head coach, who has since taken a director role at FC Twente, argued that data and emerging technology are now central to running a competitive club. “Data changed the whole world, and now it’s coming, AI, and every organisation has to take this on board,” he said. “The moment I came in, they were starting. For instance, data was already a long time on board at Ajax.”

Ten Hag also outlined the seven-point framework he uses to evaluate players — technical ability, game intelligence and cognition, athleticism, lifestyle, determination, resilience, and an offensive mindset — and suggested United lacked the scoring capacity required to compete at the top when he arrived. “When I came to United, we didn’t have the scoring ability to be in the top four. I will not say football is mathematics, but a bit of logic is in it,” he said.

The 55-year-old was thought to be deeply affected by his dismissal, which came just months after he had guided United to FA Cup glory and signed a new two-year contract at Old Trafford. Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS group had purchased a 27.7 per cent stake in the club before assuming full control of football operations, the academy, and board representation alongside the Glazers.

United’s form since Ten Hag’s departure has done little to silence his critics of the transition, and his latest comments suggest the rift between the Dutchman and the club’s ownership runs deeper than a simple difference of results.