REBUILDING OF OLD TRAFFORD
DUTCH legends Marco van Basten and Ruud Gullit are split over whether Erik ten Hag will bring the glory days back to Manchester United.
Van Basten, the demon striker who won three European
Cups with AC Milan, and the 1988 Euros with Holland playing alongside Gullit, reckons the Ajax boss will be a success.
And Van Basten also believes Cristiano Ronaldo must play a part in the Ten Hag revolution.
But Gullit, who managed Chelsea and Newcastle, knows all about the massive demands of the Premier League.
And he fears that Ten Hag will not be given the time to turn things around... all while ex-United stars such as Gary Neville and Rio Ferdinand will be scrutinising his every move.
Van Basten said: “I have trust in Ten Hag. When he came in at Ajax, there were also so many doubts about him.
“It was exactly the same situation as now with Manchester United. The media did not rate him. But he started to build – and did that really well.
“You can see his signature on everything that has happened at Ajax ever since he came into the club as a manager. I think he has done a really great job.
“Everyone in the country was putting question marks over the appointment of Ten Hag when he arrived in Amsterdam.
“The same thing is the case now. They criticise him and people are asking questions before he has even started at United.
“I am convinced he can live up to the expectations at
United and at the top of the Premier League.”
Gullit is not so sure.
United have burnt through five managers in the nine years since Sir Alex Ferguson retired.
And Gullit said: “I follow the media in England and I have already concluded that Ten Hag will not get the time to change things. Rio Ferdinand has put the
pressure on, Gary Neville has done it, all the papers will be on to him. I have lived and worked in England.
“The first club all the media look at and talk about is United.
“What United have done wrong is that when Manchester City and Liverpool made a change in their playing styles to a very attacking way – playing 4-3-3, pressing the opponent and using an aggressive style – United went the other way.
“They went for older managers like David Moyes, Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho.
“That did not work. Now United have realised that they must go for a young, modern manager, too. But it’s too late.
“In the end, they have now ended up with Ten Hag.
“As much as I wish he will succeed at United, I fear this will be a really, really difficult project for him.”
The Holland legends spoke about the job Ten Hag has taken on, and the myriad of problems he will face, on the Dutch TV programme The Rondo Show.
The decision to bring Ronaldo, 37, back to the club last summer was one issue tackled. He has not
turned United into title contenders – but he is still well clear at the top of the club’s goalscoring charts.
Van Basten said: “If Ronaldo carries on playing like he did against Norwich, scoring two or three goals on a regular basis, there is no need to take him out of the team.
“Ronaldo is a player who does his own thing but, as long as he delivers, you have to give him a place in the team.
“Ten Hag will take into account that he cannot ask the same things physically from Ronaldo that he will be asking of an 18-year-old.
“Of course, Ronaldo will need to work hard.
“And I am sure that he will work hard because I can see Ten Hag having an influence on him to get him to play exactly how he wants.
“I will give Erik one piece of advice: Don’t listen to the media when you start there.
“He will need to have such a massive focus on his own job, on his work on the training ground and on the team. And when he does that, I am sure he can change everything at United.”