Krishnan Sreekumar
Manchester United dressing room split over possible Erik ten Hag appointment
According to Manchester Evening News, a few Manchester United players are wary of the club appointing Ajax Amsterdam boss Erik ten Hag as the new permanent manager, with some believing him to be an underwhelming choice.
The Dutchman is the preferred candidate to be offered the job in the summer, once interim manager Ralf Rangnick finishes his tenure in the dugout at Old Trafford at the end of the season. The German himself had taken over from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who was dismissed late last year.
The Ajax boss is currently focused on leading his team to a hat-trick of Eredivisie titles, all of which have come during the head coach’s time at the club. He also helped them win a couple of cup competitions in previous campaigns.
United, meanwhile, are set to end their season without winning any silverware. This extends their trophy drought to half a decade, with the last title won by the club coming in 2017 when they beat Ajax to the UEFA Europa League trophy under Jose Mourinho’s reign.
Split in the dressing room
There seems to be a split in the dressing room at Old Trafford regarding ten Hag’s appointment. While a number of players are excited by the prospect of being coached by the 52-year-old and feel he would improve them, other players view him as an underwhelming choice.
This clash of opinions comes after it was said that Paris Saint-Germain head coach Mauricio Pochettino was the favoured pick among the majority of players two months ago. However, there is nothing concrete as of yet regarding ten Hag’s appointment as yet, so there still may be a chance that the Argentine may be offered the job.
It is easy to understand why there is a split regarding the players’ choice of their next manager, given the kind of experience each candidate brings to the table. Between the two, Pochettino is the one with prior Premier League knowledge, having coached Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton in the past.
That being said, the PSG boss was unsuccessful in adding trophies to his kitty while in England. ten Hag may not have experience coaching in the PL, but he has been hugely successful in Holland, winning multiple trophies during his time at Amsterdam.
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Both managers had faced off against each other in the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2019, with Pochettino getting the better of ten Hag as Spurs defeated Ajax with the very last kick of the game to reach the finals of the competition. Unfortunately for the now-PSG boss, Tottenham would lose the summit clash to Liverpool.
Although that is no indication as to whether the Argentine is a better head coach than his Dutch counterpart, it may still be a key stat to consider if the club is looking at a head-to-factor as a determining factor in appointing their new manager. Whoever it may be in the end, there is no doubt that we would have gained an excellent head coach to potentially lead us to glory in the near future.
