PERFECT TEN ‘Every morning he’d check the grass was the right length’ – Man United target Erik ten Hag ‘learned a lot from Guardiola’, has never beaten Liverpool and considered Van de Beek treatment a ‘mortal sin’ News

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PERFECT TEN ‘Every morning he’d check the grass was the right length’ – Man United target Erik ten Hag ‘learned a lot from Guardiola’, has never beaten Liverpool and considered Van de Beek treatment a ‘mortal sin’

By Daily Sports Nigeria on March 11, 2022

Ajax boss Erik ten Hag has reportedly been ‘sounded out’ by Manchester United in their search for a new manager.

The Red Devils remain on the hunt for a permanent man to take charge at Old Trafford before the beginning of next season.

Ralf Rangnick has taken charge of the club on an interim basis before he moves to a ‘consultancy’ role at the end of the season.

And his successor in the dugout could be the highly sought-after Ten Hag – whose reputation has skyrocketed since he arrived at Ajax in 2017.

The Dutchman has transformed the Amsterdam outfit from a state of turmoil into Eredivisie kings and Champions League contenders.

His possession-based style of ‘Total Football’ has naturally drawn comparisons with his legendary compatriot Johan Cruyff.

But Ten Hag himself credits a lot of his philosophy to Pep Guardiola – who is in the opposite dugout at United’s rivals Man City.

Etihad chief Guardiola drafted in Ten Hag while he was in charge of Bayern Munich to act as the German club’s reserve team manager.

Speaking in 2019, he said: “I learned a lot from Guardiola.

“His philosophy is sensational, what he did in Barcelona, Bayern and now with Manchester City, that attacking and attractive style sees him win a lot.

“It’s this structure that I’ve tried to implement with Ajax.”

As well as football philosophies, Ten Hag also shares Guardiola’s meticulous attention to detail that made him such a promising young coach.

His first managerial stint came at then-second-tier Dutch side Go Ahead Eagles where he led them to promotion during his only term in charge.

“Behind every training session, there was an idea,” Marnix Kolder, Go Ahead’s captain at the time, told the Independent.

“He makes every player better. Tactical, physical. Erik left nothing to chance. He was prepared for every opponent, down to the last detail.”

“Every morning he’d go to the pitch to see if the grass was high enough,” added retired midfielder Sjoerd Overgoor.

Van de Beek’s performances at Ajax earned him a big-money move to Old Trafford in September 2020 but he has since been farmed out on loan to Everton after limited opportunities at United.

Ten Hag told de Volkskrant: “Donny, I find that hard. [It’s a] mortal sin.

“If you haven’t had a chance yet, then development will also stall. Every now and then you encourage them.”

There are a few more United players, most namely Marcus Rashford, who would definitely benefit from that Ten Hag encouragement.

Source FlashSports

Posted March 11, 2022