Incoming new Manchester United permanent manager Erik ten Hag to be joined by assistant coach Mitchell van der Gaag
According to football journalist Fabrizio Romano on Twitter, incoming new Manchester United permanent manager Erik ten Hag will be joined by assistant coach Mitchell van der Gaag as part of his backroom staff at the club.
The duo are expected to join the Manchester side at the end of the current season from Ajax Amsterdam, where they recently led the Dutch club to their third consecutive Eredivisie title. This also completes a hat-trick of league titles for ten Hag, completing a very successful career in Holland.
He will join United in the summer and succeed Ralf Rangnick, who was appointed by the club late last year on an interim basis until the end of the current campaign. The German was tasked with guiding the team to a top-four finish in the Premier League table, but the Red Devils look more on course to finishing sixth.
A sixth-place finish means that the English giants miss out on Champions League football next term, and instead will get a chance to play in the Europa League. That too could change, if West Ham United manage to pip the Old Trafford outfit to sixth position at the end of the season.
Ex-England boss has chances to join
United are expected to make a lot of changes in the summer, starting with their coaching staff, which will be led by ten Hag. To assist him in ushering in a new era at the Theatre of Dreams, he will now be joined by his Ajax assistant coach van der Gaag, as revealed by Romano.
The transfer expert confirmed that the Dutch coach has reached a full agreement with the English club to join their backroom staff, and that it was just a matter of time until they finalise his contract. It seems as though there is an Ajax reunion being planned in Manchester with Donny van de Beek also set to return from Everton this summer.
This will see the departure of Rangnick’s coaching staff from the club when ten Hag takes over, although it remains to be seen what happens to some others at Carrington. Mike Phelan was roped in last year to assist the German, while Darren Fletcher has been spotted in the dugout on matchdays.
Phelan previously worked under Sir Alex Ferguson, and only time will tell if he continues to remain as part of the new backroom staff. On the other hand, Fletcher is still working as the club’s technical director, so he may move back to working his role full-time, behind the scenes.
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Romano also said that ex-United coach Steve McClaren has chances to join ten Hag’s new-look staff at the club. The former England boss was an assistant to Sir Alex in the past, and his knowledge of the club and English football is sure to benefit the new permanent manager.
ten Hag will need all the help he can get to improve the situation at Old Trafford and turn the squad into a team full of winners. A squad overhaul and rebuild is also expected to take place, so along with his coaching staff, the first team may also see a lot of incomings and outgoings.
