Forget the Pep talk
Ten Hag had no plans to play a waiting game
ERIK TEN HAG insists he was right to snub the chance to succeed Pep Guardiola and opt instead for the huge task of reviving Manchester United.
Ten Hag and Guardiola go head to head in tomorrow’s Manchester derby after the City boss had endorsed the Dutchman as his potential replacement when he steps down.
That door has now closed with Ten Hag at United but he has no regrets at taking on the Old Trafford challenge rather than waiting to succeed Guardiola, who is in the final year of his contract.
Asked about Guardiola’s claim that he could have followed him at City, Ten Hag said: “That’s a nice compliment. But I choose, 100 per cent convinced, Manchester United, with everything in it. I didn’t regret it for one second.”
Ten Hag worked with Guardiola at Bayern Munich from 2013 to 2015 but insists he remains a coach with his own philosophy, despite his admiration for the City boss.
“First of all, it’s most important that no person is the same,” said Ten Hag.
“So I have to stick by myself and then I learn a lot from many human beings in football, especially from top coaches.
“I admire Pep a lot because he’s not only successful, he’s doing it in a certain way that really attracts people to football and that’s a reward.”
Back in April, weeks before Ten Hag was confirmed as United’s new boss, Guardiola praised his former coach and said the 52-year-old had the credentials to take over from him at City.
“Could Erik Ten Hag be here at City?” said Guardiola. “Definitely. I think he could be the one, for the way he approaches the game.”
Ten Hag has backed his under-fire skipper Harry Maguire after the United defender’s miserable season continued on England duty.
Maguire, who has lost his United place, gave away a penalty in England’s 3-3 draw with Germany and suffered a hamstring injury which has ruled him out of the derby.
“I back him because I believe in him,” said Ten Hag. “The period I worked with him in pre-season was good, really good.
“Then he fell out – but it’s also to do with the good performances of the centre-backs who are playing now. I can see, even after he wasn’t in the team that he trained really well but, more importantly, the quality was there.
“The players in the dressing room, the coaches, the manager, we all believe in him. Now it is about him. That’s what I told him. I’m sure he can do it. He will turn this around. I’m really convinced of that.”