The Dutch manager will take charge at Old Trafford from July 2022.
Manchester United finally ended the speculation around their next permanent manager by announcing an agreement with Erik ten Hag.
The Dutch manager ends his four-and-a-half-year spell at Ajax to take over from Ralf Rangnick next summer. Rangnick, who will work as a consultant from the following season, has called for a complete squad ‘rebuild’ recently.
Let’s find out what we should expect from Ten Hag, who will be in charge of United’s project ahead of the next season.
Ten Hag’s coaching history
The new Man United coach started his managerial career from the academy ranks of FC Twente. He became the Dutch club’s assistant manager in 2006 before joining PSV Eindhoven to fulfill a similar role.
Ten Hag joined Go Ahead Eagles in 2012 to start his first managerial job at the senior level. He led the team to Eredivisie promotion in his only season at the club before securing a move to FC Bayern’s second team in 2013.
In his two-year spell at the German club, Ten Hag worked closely with the then Bayern manager Pep Guardiola. Most observers believe Guardiola’s influence on Ten Hag is still visible in his playing style.
After his stint at Bayern, Ten Hag moved to Utrecht, where he stayed for two years before taking charge at Ajax in December 2017.
What happened next established Ten Hag’s name among the most promising head coaches in European football.
A brilliant record at Ajax
Ten Hag found a tough start to his career at Ajax upon his arrival in the middle of the 2017-18 season. However, a few smart signings in the following summer suddenly got the Dutch giants back on track.
Dusan Tadic and Daley Blind soon found their places in Ajax’s squad, while Frenkie de Jong, Matthijs De Ligt, and Donny van de Beek quickly rose to stardom under Ten Hag.
Ajax won a domestic double in 2019 and reached the Champions League semi-finals. Their next year’s campaign was heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, they managed to reclaim the league title again in 2021.
This season, Ajax couldn’t get past Benfica in the last-16 round of the Champions League. However, they are sitting at the top of the Eredivisie table, preparing to possibly win their last trophy under Ten Hag.
The new Man United boss leaves Ajax with an incredible record of 2.36 points per game (73.81%). He has led the Dutch giants to 210 games, registering 156 wins and 29 losses.
Expect more ‘Gegenpressing’ under Ten Hag
There has been a lot of discussion about Ten Hag’s possible lineup at United, which has led to countless transfer rumours.
The Dutch manager mostly plays with a fluid 4-2-3-1 system, which he might have inherited from his Bayern Munich days.
However, he doesn’t shy away from changing his formation to have a back-three or a front-four. In some games, Ten Hag has even played with a front-six in a 4-2-4 formation.
Ten Hag’s overall style of play is a combination of Guardiola’s possession-based football and Rangnick’s ‘Gegenpressing’ philosophy.
His Ajax team usually dominate the possession with their strong presence in midfield. Upon losing the ball, Ten Hag’s side start pressing immediately, with two pacey wingers often looking for quick transitions.
The former Utrecht manager is not a big fan of lineup rotations, often using a similar XI for his team’s big matches. It will be interesting to see whether Premier League’s tight schedule can force Ten Hag to use a different strategy next season.
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