Eric ten Haag will not be backed by a huge budget for the recovery of Manchester United, but will receive what the club considers adequate funds to improve the team, which the new manager believes he can significantly improve with his coaching.
United confirmed on Thursday that Ten Hague will leave Ajax at the end of the season to take over at Old Trafford. The Dutchman believes that the group he will inherit is significantly weaker this season and believes that it contains four groups of players that are worth persevering with.
The first are those at the peak of his career, where Ten Hag puts Bruno Fernandez and Rafael Varane; then those entering this phase, according to him Marcus Rashford and Scott McTominey; others on an upward trajectory, such as Jaden Sancho; and young people leaving the academy for whom he sees a bright future, including Hannibal Maybri, Alejandro Garnacho and James Garner.
Although funding for Ten Hag will not be unlimited, in line with club policy and as a result of the pandemic, the departures of Paul Pogba, Juan Mata, Phil Jones, Nemanja Matic and Jesse Lingard are among those to leave in the summer. , will allow it more flexibility in the market.
Ten Hague’s goals are expected to be a midfielder – Declan Rice from West Ham is on the list – although Donnie van de Beek, with whom he works at Ajax and who is on loan at Everton, will have a chance to revive his United career. Central defender and central striker will also be a priority.
Declan Rice (right) is on the list of midfielders aimed at Eric ten Hague for Manchester United. Photo: Naomi Baker / Getty Images
Ten Hag’s appointment was mixed with the team, with some players ambivalent and others unhappy as they waited to work with the 52-year-old. Van de Beek liked an Instagram post confirming the appointment and can be expected to give a positive assessment to his colleagues at United.
The club is close to confirming that Ten Hague’s assistant will be Mitchell van der Haag, who coached Yong Ajax, the club’s reserve, for two years from 2019, while Ten Hague led the first team. The new manager must evaluate those coaches who are already at United, in respect of whom he may wish to retain. He wants Steve McLaren to become a member of his staff, but this has not yet been decided.
Ten Hag signed a contract until June 2025 with the option to extend for another year. He has led Ajax for four years, winning the Double League and the Dutch Cup in 2018-19 and 2020-21. His team lost the 2022 Cup final to PSV last Sunday, but is on track to secure another league title.
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Eric’s story so far
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Get up and get upEric ten Haag, 52, has spent much of his playing career as a central defender at FC Twente – it is said that the lack of speed has made him work harder, position himself smarter and realize the importance of teamwork. seeing the game through the eyes of the coach while still playing. He moved smoothly into the club’s youth coaching role before becoming an assistant on the first team, which included a period under Steve McLaren, before Fred Rutten took him to PSV Eindhoven in 2009 for three seasons.
The coach of the first team
Mark Overmars appointed him manager of the Go Ahead Eagles in 2012 and he duly took the country to the top of the Netherlands before leaving to coach Bayern Munich for two years. He then returned to the Netherlands with Utrecht, drastically reforming the club, which finished 11th in the Eredivisie season before his arrival and recorded fifth and fourth place before Ajax came for him in 2017. In the 2018-19 Champions League, Real Madrid and Juventus were defeated and only Tottenham blocked Ajax’s path to the final in the last second. At Eredivisie, he is aiming for a third division in four seasons.
The style
“This chapter is always full of football,” said his childhood friend Leon ten Vorde. Reputation of a control freak who is loyal to his players. Analyzes opponents, even if he has already played against them twice this season. Sends players videos of opponents and gives instructions on which newspapers to read or what time they should be in bed.
Photo: Peter de Jong / AP
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An agreement has been reached to pay the € 2 million release clause to Ten Hag and it is understood that he has received a key request: to receive the final decision on the transfers together with the club’s executive director.
Ten Haag said: “It is a great honor for me to be appointed manager of Manchester United and I am extremely excited about the upcoming challenge. I know the history of this great club and its passion for the fans and I am absolutely determined to develop a team capable of achieving the success they deserve.
“It will be difficult to leave Ajax after these incredible years and I can assure our fans of my full commitment and focus on the successful completion of this season before moving to Manchester United.
The original list of five of United included the Spanish coach Luis Enrique, Hulen Lopetegui from Seville, Thomas Tuchel from Chelsea and Mauricio Pochettino from Paris Saint-Germain, but Ten Haag quickly emerged as the clear leader. He will be the club’s first permanent manager since Ole Gunnar Solskjar left in November, with Ralph Rangnik intervening temporarily.
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Ten Hag made an impression in the discussions led by John Murtow, United’s football director, and Darren Fletcher, technical director. Understandably, Richard Arnold, the chief executive, was involved in the final stages of the process and there is a consensus that Ten Hag is the exclusive candidate. Joel Glaser, co-chair, signed their decision.
During the interviews, Ten Hag more than satisfied the club with their English, which was considered a potential challenge.
United concluded that Ten Hag is the candidate who most closely matches the club’s identity and strategy, and was impressed by his passion, energy and enthusiasm for the task of trying to restore the club to the top.
Murtow said: “In our conversations with Eric, which led to this appointment, we were deeply impressed by his long-term vision of returning Manchester United to the level we want to compete in, and his commitment and determination to achieve that.
Murtow and the rest of the CEO believe that Ten Haag has an experience to deal with a club of United’s greatness after taking more than 40 Champions League games (including qualifiers) with Ajax, in particular reaching the semifinals in 2019. and spent his time in Bayern Munich, where he trained reserves from 2013 to 2015.
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