‘Erik must have full backing of the club’
UNITED LEGEND ON THE CHALLENGES TEN HAG WILL FACE
UNITED hero Jaap Stam has identified four challenges for Erik ten Hag to overcome in England.
Interim manager Ralf Rangnick has two games left in charge of United and Ten Hag will take over the managerial reins on a permanent basis after the German’s departure.
Ten Hag joins United on a threeyear contract with the option of an additional year.
United have equalled their longest trophy drought for over 40 years this season and Ten Hag will be tasked with overseeing a major rebuild this summer. There are multiple outgoings expected from the playing squad and new players will be required.
Ten Hag’s success has come exclusively in the Netherlands and the United job will undoubtedly be the biggest challenge of his career.
Stam ‘hopes’ Ten Hag can convert that success to Old Trafford, but he also spelled out what will be different in England.
“Erik has been doing well in Holland and everybody knows that as well,” Stam said.
“That’s why he got the job at United of course. We also need to understand that in the league in Holland the quality of the majority of teams is a lot less than how Ajax is but still you need to produce, so that’s still a very good thing that he’s done.
“Now he’s been given the chance to try to do the same at United and hopefully he can do. But he understands, and he knows as well, that the Premier League is totally different – the people, the press, the expectations, the pressure - to how it was in Holland.
“For him that’s going to be a learning curve but it’s very important that the club and the owners are backing him up in terms of personnel. United have got good players. Yes, some of them might need to go but they need to bring in several other players as well, so they can get unity within that squad, play in a certain way.
“The philosophy in how he wants to play is of course very important. That’s why they chose Erik. Hopefully he can show that.”
He understands the Premier League is totally different Jaap Stam on Erik ten Hag