Partly on the advice of interim manager Ralf Rangnick, the 52-year-old Dutchman 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.
Coaches 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 managers 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, switching 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 after five games? At Manchester, which will play in the Europa or Conference League next season, Ten Hag will in turn 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.
Ten Hag reportedly demanded a long-term contract and full control over the purchase and sales policy. His job is to form 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 150 million. It is also expected that Donny van de Beek will get another chance at Old Trafford.
According to The Times Ten Hag has demanded that owner Joel Glazer sit next to him during his first press conference, so that he can answer questions about the rubble. At the presentation, Ten Hag, whose English is not yet fluent, must in turn show whether he has the charisma to be a Premier League manager. Being a manager in England is different from being a head coach in the Netherlands.
There is now also speculation about who will sit next to him. There has been plenty of speculation about this in the British press. That is the name of Steve McClaren, who has great admiration for the man who was his assistant at FC Twente. Robin van Persie, who knows Manchester United well, has also been mentioned as a possible right-hand man. 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.