Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has outlined his tactics ahead of pre-season
Erik ten Hag has provided an insight into the tactics that he wants to implement at Manchester United ahead of their pre-season friendlies. The English side has already travelled to Bangkok to start their campaign under his tenure, with the first match being against Liverpool on Tuesday.
Ten Hag has earned quite a name for himself by helping Ajax to their recent successes while playing impressive and attractive football. That has caused excitement among the fans as they believe he could do the same at Old Trafford if the board can provide the right backing.
Speaking in an interview with the club’s media (h/t Manchester United’s official website), the Dutchman has revealed that he wants his team to always play on the front foot from here on out. He mentioned his intent to make the Red Devils squad proactive instead of being reactive with their actions on the pitch.
“We want to play a proactive style of football. On the ball and off the ball. Trying to do that has to be our intention. The coaches bring it over to the team that we are, in every situation, proactive. We are brave and willing to have the ball, to give each other options. But also off the ball, to get the pressing style is what we’re working for together.”
A change for the better?
It is pretty evident in modern times how more teams have started to include positional play and total football in their style. That is something that is associated with most big clubs in this period, and it seems that we are finally adapting to these tactics as well.
The likes of Manchester City, Bayern Munich, and Liverpool are arguably some of the best examples when it comes to teams who have used it to great effect in modern football. While replicating that would be a stern challenge, we do have to start somewhere, which makes the objective achievable indeed.
Ralf Rangnick tried to impose a high-pressing system during his reign in Carrington, but he failed to use that to a great extent. The supporters would hope that Ten Hag can at least use those foundations to build toward something more effective in the future.
However, one could say that proactiveness on the ball would be the biggest challenge that lies ahead for us. After all, there is a belief among the fans that the players, in general, lack the necessary technical abilities to be more adept at replicating what our city rivals do, for example.
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Even so, with the necessary squad improvements coupled with the new training regime, we could still facilitate this identity change. We had often depended upon a counter-attacking style of play in the past, but with this new change, ten Hag could be creating something big if he is given the right support as he did in Amsterdam.
