Ten Hag confirmed as new Man United boss
MANCHESTER UNITED have confirmed Erik ten Hag as their new manager on a three-year contract.
The 52-year-old Dutchman will leave Ajax Amsterdam after four successful years in charge to take charge at United next season.
However, he steps into a challenging situation at Old Trafford as the club continues to toil following years of domination domestically and in Europe.
Ten Hag boasts an unblemished managerial record from his unconventional route to one of the sport’s most prized jobs.
In his first role as a manager, Ten Hag got Go Ahead Eagles promoted to the top flight of Dutch football although he then left to take charge of Bayern Munich’s reserve team. His tenure there coincided with Pep Guardiola’s time as Bayern boss and Ten Hag learnt much from the acclaimed Spaniard.
He returned to his homeland for a two-year stint at Utrecht before taking over at Ajax in 2017 where his team dominated the Erevidise, boasting an overall 74% win record.
United will be a different proposition altogether though. Despite having one of the largest wage bills in world football, they have not won a trophy for five years, are unlikely to be playing in next season’s Champions League and require a major overhaul of the playing squad.
Ten Hag will need time to build a capable squad and impose his own style and philiosophy – but time is a commodity that we all know is rapidly disappearing in the modern game where the pressure on attaining instant success is bigger than ever.
Ben Tirebuck