Former Ajax boss Ten Hag, 54, took charge in the summer of 2022 and led the club to third place in the Eredivisie in his first season.

He also guided United to their first success in six seasons with a 2-0 win against Newcastle United in the 2023 Carabao Cup Final and finished runners-up in the FA Cup Final, losing 2-1 to Manchester City.

His second season in charge started poorly, with United finishing bottom of the Champions League group in the autumn, but they lifted a trophy and beat Manchester City in the FA Cup final.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos group bought a 27.7% stake in the club in December 2023 and the British billionaire told BBC Sport in February that the club’s problems extended far beyond the manager’s role.

“Over the last 11 years, Manchester United have had a lot of coaches and no one has been successful in that environment,” Ratcliffe said. “That tells me there’s something wrong with the environment.”

But a poor start to the campaign, which has seen United win just one of their past eight games in all competitions, has forced the board into action.