Erik ten Hag of Ajax will be offered the Manchester United managerial role according to reports. One of the worst kept secrets to come out of the international break was the Manchester United managerial search heating up. When Ralf Rangnick was hired on a six month contract as the manager with a two year consultation role after, his original plan might have to recommend that he stayed as manager but, disappointing results led the club to look elsewhere and a deal for Erik ten Hag of Ajax is now reportedly almost complete.
Manchester United is a club in need of a culture shift and ten Haag is a good person to bring that. His Ajax side plays a possession-based style that can suit Manchester United. While Ajax didn’t go as far in Champions League this year as then they’d like to being knocked out by Benfica in the round of 16, that shouldn’t cause concern that he can turn around Manchester United.
Along with ten Hag, Mauricio Pochettino was also considered a likely candidate for the job, though his team’s performances in big moments did not exactly put his best foot forward this season. Falling out of Champions League with PSG while blowing a significant lead against Real Madrid certainly seems more relevant than his miracle run bringing Tottenham Hotspur to the finals at his previous stop. Pair that with falling out of the Coupe de France on a penalty loss to Nice, and it would be easy to understand if United decided Pochettino’s sides have too much history of wilting when the lights are brightest.
There will be wonder of how ten Haag handles the jump from the Netherlands to the Premier League and the usual questions of if he’ll get full backing from the United board but, the talent is certainly there and he’s built Ajax into an unbeatable Dutch team which also punches above their weight in the Champions League. The usual questions of style remain as well. Will the players will support a manager with a particular tactical style of play, now that it’s one that has a long term contract. Among Premier League teams, United have the fourth fewest tackles in the attacking half and the ninth most recoveries in the attacking half this season, and ten Hag enters as a manager who likes to press.
Things will need to change under ten Hag as when it comes to pressures, he’ll want his team to do similar things to Rangnick, things the current manager isn’t getting out of the side. For a United team that has been under turmoil for the past few years, this could be a new dawn, but the risk of it being yet another false one remains.
