Krishnan Sreekumar
Former Manchester United coach Rene Meulensteen being considered as assistant to Erik ten Hag
According to ESPN, ex-Manchester United coach Rene Meulensteen is under consideration to be appointed as assistant manager to Erik ten Hag, who is touted to become the next permanent manager of the English club.
The club have been looking for ideal candidates to replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as the new head coach of the team, since they sacked the Norwegian late last year due to a string of poor results that hampered their aim of a top-four finish in the Premier League table by the end of the season.
The Manchester side roped in Ralf Rangnick from Lokomotiv Moscow to succeed Solskjaer until the end of the season, with the German tasked with guiding the club back up the league table and ensuring that they finish strong, ideally by claiming a Champions League qualification spot.
Wherever the Red Devils end up finishing at the end of the campaign, Rangnick is expected to give up his duties as head coach of the squad and make way for a new permanent manager in the summer, as the club hunt for the best possible option to succeed the interim boss.
Return to United?
Now, it is said that Ajax Amsterdam boss Ten Hag has been identified as the replacement for Solskjaer as the next manager. Not just this, a familiar face in Meulensteen is under consideration to be appointed his assistant.
United fans will be familiar with the 58-year-old, who served as Sir Alex Ferguson’s assistant between 2007 and 2013 in what was arguably the most successful period for the club since the turn of the new Millenium.
During his time as a first-team coach, the Manchester side won three Premier League titles, two League Cups, and a Champions League trophy- losing two UCL finals in the process to arguably one of the best Barcelona teams in history in 2009 and 2011.
Given that ten Hag has never managed in England, the decision to bring in Meulensteen is a great move. The ex-United coach knows the inner workings of the club very well given his past connection with the team, and having worked under Sir Alex, he could pass on a few tidbits to ten Hag as he prepares to take charge of the Red Devils.
Meulensteen’s possible presence in the dugout next season will certainly bring back old memories for supporters, with figures like Darren Fletcher and Mick Phelan also in the dugout at Old Trafford, evoking nostalgia from a great period for the club in terms of success.
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After leaving United in 2013, the Dutchman has travelled around the world in a variety of different roles, working in Dagestan, London, Philadelphia, Israel, and India. He currently serves as the Australia national team assistant manager, a post he has held since 2018.
Hopefully, his prior experience as an assistant coach at Carrington and his connections with players like David de Gea and Cristiano Ronaldo can improve our fortunes from next season onwards. With ten Hag seemingly looking like the next permanent manager, the Dutch pair will need to dig deep to break our five-year trophy drought and ensure they take us back to the glory days of Meulensteen’s time.
