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Manchester United’s evolution over the previous few seasons has been one in every of turbulence, change, and occasional triumph. On the middle of all of it stands Erik ten Hag, a person whose tactical nous and strong-willed self-discipline have solid a path for United in a difficult interval. Steve McClaren, who labored alongside Ten Hag throughout his tumultuous reign, lately shared insights into the Dutchman’s mindset, management, and the calls for of managing a membership as traditionally important as Manchester United.
McClaren, who labored as an assistant to Ten Hag at United from 2022 to 2024, remembers the Dutchman’s arrival with a way of admiration, . “Erik’s stamp was throughout that membership,” McClaren instructed The Telegraph, referencing Ten Hag’s time at Twente. This can be a essential assertion, highlighting Ten Hag’s consistency in method, wherever his managerial profession has taken him. From his childhood at Twente to Ajax, and now United, the ethos stays unchanged: self-discipline, requirements, and a refusal to compromise.
Ten Hag’s Cussed Success: Self-discipline Over Flexibility
When Ten Hag took over Manchester United, the membership was in a precarious state. A number of managers had tried and failed to revive its former glory. His dealing with of Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure was one of many first main choices that demonstrated his resolve. McClaren explains, “He got here in with set requirements. Set guidelines. Set manner of enjoying. And for those who didn’t run, you didn’t play. He was inflexible on that. Which the Dutch are. He knew that was what was wanted.”
Ten Hag’s agency stance on self-discipline got here as a shock to many. Some gamers rebelled, and the fallout with Ronaldo, one of many membership’s best ever gamers, was a media storm. However Ten Hag stood agency, incomes respect for his unwavering dedication to the workforce’s ethos fairly than particular person star energy. McClaren affirms, “He took on Ronaldo, and fairly rightly. Different managers have tried to adapt. Erik didn’t really feel it was mandatory to try this.”
The success that adopted—United’s qualification for the Champions League and victory within the Carabao Cup—vindicated Ten Hag’s strategies. But it surely wasn’t with out its challenges. McClaren remembers the notorious incident the place Marcus Rashford was benched for being late to a gathering: “Self-discipline was essential. Requirements had been essential. Behaviour was essential. All people is aware of that about United. That’s what he introduced.”
The Twente Connection: A Managerial Relationship Constructed on Belief
The connection between Ten Hag and McClaren goes again to their time collectively at FC Twente, the place Ten Hag was McClaren’s assistant. Their understanding of one another’s philosophies and work ethics fashioned a powerful bond that has carried over into their time at Previous Trafford.
Reflecting on their time at Twente, McClaren remembers the Dutchman’s outstanding affect on the membership’s tradition. “Erik’s stamp was throughout that membership… from the five-year-olds all the way in which up,” McClaren notes. It’s a testomony to Ten Hag’s holistic method, guaranteeing that his groups function beneath one unified imaginative and prescient from prime to backside. The muse laid throughout their tenure at Twente paved the way in which for his or her future success collectively.
The pair’s complementary strengths had been clear from the outset. McClaren had at all times been recognized for his meticulous planning and man-management, whereas Ten Hag introduced a tactical sharpness and a fierce dedication to self-discipline. Collectively, they navigated a very difficult time at Manchester United, a interval McClaren calls “turbulent” but filled with studying and progress.
Youth Improvement: A Key to Ten Hag’s Philosophy
One of many extra understated parts of Ten Hag’s tenure at United has been his religion in youth growth. Alejandro Garnacho, Kobbie Mainoo, and Amad Diallo are simply a few of the younger skills who’ve thrived beneath his watch. McClaren stresses this level, citing Ten Hag’s background in academy soccer as an important asset to his managerial fashion.
“He’s not afraid to throw kids in,” McClaren says. “The event of these gamers was key. They knew the requirements they needed to meet, they usually rose to the event.”
For Ten Hag, integrating youth gamers into the primary workforce is not only about alternative however about instilling the identical inflexible self-discipline and excessive requirements that outline his managerial philosophy. It’s no shock, then, that a few of United’s most fun performances have come from their youngest stars, reflecting the tradition of progress and studying that Ten Hag fosters at each stage of the membership.
The Affect of Dutch Soccer: Successes and Challenges
One of many recurring themes in Ten Hag’s recruitment at Manchester United has been his reliance on gamers from Dutch soccer. The signings of Antony and Lisandro Martínez from Ajax raised eyebrows, with many questioning the knowledge of bringing in gamers with little Premier League expertise. Nonetheless, McClaren defends these choices, arguing that familiarity with Ten Hag’s fashion was essential in implementing his imaginative and prescient at United.
“First, [the players know] the way in which he wished to play,” McClaren explains. “Two, the gamers that had been obtainable. Three, understanding he didn’t have numerous time at United to get issues going.”
Certainly, Martínez, regardless of preliminary doubts, grew to become one of many cornerstones of United’s protection. His aggressive fashion and tactical understanding had been vital in Ten Hag’s system. As McClaren factors out, “Erik knew Martínez was the suitable alternative. He had labored with him earlier than, and that relationship was very important to bedding in his ways at United.”
However not each Dutch acquisition has labored out. The £85 million spent on Antony has been the topic of scrutiny, with the winger struggling to adapt to the bodily calls for of English soccer. Regardless of these challenges, Ten Hag’s reliance on acquainted faces from the Eredivisie reveals his give attention to tactical self-discipline and belief in those that perceive his strategies.
Strain at Manchester United: The Hardest Job in Soccer?
Managing Manchester United is usually thought to be probably the most difficult jobs in soccer, and Ten Hag has confronted his fair proportion of criticism. The dramatic losses to Crystal Palace and Arsenal in Might 2024 had been simply two examples of the immense strain on his shoulders. As McClaren remembers, “We had been almost strolling dwelling from Crystal Palace… folks realise we’ve got obtained to win the subsequent sport. It was such a foul time after that Palace sport.”
But, Ten Hag’s response to those setbacks demonstrated his resilience. United bounced again, profitable their remaining two Premier League video games and defeating Manchester Metropolis within the FA Cup remaining. McClaren praises the supervisor’s skill to remain calm beneath strain, noting his tactical acumen and energy of character: “In a few years in soccer, I’ve by no means seen something prefer it.”
Regardless of the highs and lows, McClaren believes that Ten Hag’s tenure at United will in the end be judged as a hit. The brand new Ineos-led possession appears to again the supervisor, with McClaren expressing confidence in the way forward for the membership: “I’ve obtained to say with Ineos, I see an ideal future for Manchester United. I feel they’re behind him [Ten Hag] and in the event that they proceed like that and stick collectively United will succeed.”
Our View – EPL Index
Excited United Supporters Anticipate Ten Hag’s Subsequent Chapter
Manchester United followers must be excited concerning the upcoming season beneath Erik ten Hag. Whereas his reign has been something however clean, there’s a clear imaginative and prescient behind his ways and choices. His willingness to nurture younger expertise, his no-nonsense method to self-discipline, and his skill to bounce again from robust defeats are qualities that any United supporter can admire.
With new possession backing Ten Hag, there’s real optimism that United can return to their former glory. The longer term appears to be like brilliant for gamers like Alejandro Garnacho, who has already proven flashes of brilliance, and Kobbie Mainoo, who guarantees to be a major midfield presence within the years to come back. As followers, we perceive that constructing a profitable workforce takes time, and Ten Hag’s mission is one which deserves persistence.
Nonetheless, there are issues as effectively. The reliance on Dutch-based gamers has been a blended bag, and signings like Antony increase questions concerning the membership’s recruitment technique. Can Ten Hag proceed to draw the suitable gamers to bolster his squad? Will he adapt to the evolving calls for of the Premier League?
One factor is for certain: Erik ten Hag is a fighter, and so long as he’s on the helm, Manchester United followers can anticipate a workforce that displays that tenacity on the pitch. We look ahead to seeing how the subsequent chapter unfolds.
