Partly on the advice of interim manager Ralf Rangnick, the 52-year-old Ajax coach has been preferred over Mauricio Pochettino, who wants to leave Paris Saint-Germain. It is a small revenge on the Argentinian, who was responsible for Ten Hag’s darkest moment at Ajax three years ago with Tottenham Hotspur. In the final seconds of the Champions League match, the Londoners put an end to the triumphal march of coach and club through Europe.
Still, that campaign put him on the radar of major European teams. The most recent European adventure confirmed the impression that Ten Hag has done something special in Amsterdam. And something special is desperately needed at Old Trafford, where one of the world’s biggest clubs has been errant and sinking since the departure of legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson ten years ago.
Managers David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick have all tried to bring the Mancunians back to the top. The fact that these are all very different leaders indicates that the club is searching. This quest was led by recently departed club president Ed Woodward, a banker more loved by the American owners than the fans.
Ultimate Challenge
For Ten Hag, the switch is the ultimate challenge. Who has forgotten Frank de Boer’s fate, who won four titles with Ajax and was out on the street at Crystal Palace within two months? At Manchester, which may play in the Conference League next season, Ten Hag will have to deal with a gang. In The Times Matt Dickinson even wrote that “a dysfunctional United poses a great risk to Ten Hag’s reputation.”
Van Gaal also expressed his doubts by saying that United is more of a commercial enterprise than a football club. The return of Cristiano Ronaldo was an example of this: commercially attractive, sporting dubious. Whether the Dutch coach wants to keep the Portuguese superstar is one of the first issues he will face. The same goes for Paul Pogba, the French prima donna. There is also a lot of dry wood in the huge selection.
Ten Hag will reportedly receive a four-year contract and control over the purchase and sales policy. His job is to forge a team from a group of unmotivated individuals. And to attract the right players. His eye would have already fallen on Declan Rice, the great man of West Ham who would have a price tag of 180 million euros. It is expected that Donny van de Beek will get another chance at Old Trafford.
In addition to football technical challenges, Ten Hag, whose English is not yet fluent, will have to deal with a cultural difference. Being a manager in England is different from being a head coach in the Netherlands. The English manager is the club’s banner. Ten Hag is not known for his charisma. In addition, he has to deal with sports journalists who have to fill several pages every day. The old wisdom also applies in the field of sports that the Netherlands has newspapers, and England has the press.
There is now also speculation about who will sit next to him. That is the name of Steve McClaren, who has great admiration for the man who was his right hand at FC Twente. Former players Jaap Stam and Robin van Persie have also been mentioned as possible assistants. The role of Ferguson remains. The shadow of this legend hangs over the club. But Sir Alex’s position is unassailable, unlike that of his successors.