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Juan Sebastian Veron feels having a clear vision sets Erik ten Hag apart from other Sir Alex Ferguson successors
Former Manchester United player Juan Sebastian Veron feels having a clear vision in management is what sets Erik ten Hag apart from previous Sir Alex Ferguson successors.
Since arriving from Ajax last summer, ten Hag has had a brilliant time at Old Trafford. He has not only improved the results over time, but the handling of some of the off-field decisions has been commendable as well.
For example, the Cristiano Ronaldo situation was increasingly becoming a problem at the start of the season. The Dutchman dealt with that by playing his best side for a game, irrespective of whether that includes Ronaldo or not. The Portuguese superstar left the club in November, owing to the fact that the manager had regained power in the dressing room.
Here’s what Veron said when asked about ten Hag and his time at United so far (h/t Manchester Evening News, via Gambling Zone):
“After Sir Alex Ferguson left Manchester United, and the last of the generation of Giggs, Scholes, Beckham, Neville, Keane, etcetera all left the club, they have found it very difficult to consistently deliver results, performances and a good team.
“I finally see a good team, putting in good performances, after years of ups and downs. Maybe now he has clearer objectives and a clearer vision than previous managers. Ten Hag was a great choice for Manchester United and he needs more time to develop this team.
“It’s a good start and maybe next season we can see an even better team.”
In the first two games of the 2022/23 season, it was clear that Harry Maguire was struggling. Ten Hag dropped him from the Liverpool game onwards even though the Englishman was the team captain.
That sort of power and authority gets the dressing room channelling in one direction – which is to listen and follow the manager.
The results on the field are a reflection of that. United won the Carabao Cup, breaking a trophy drought of six years. They went to the FA Cup final, finished third in the league and had an exceptional home record throughout.
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It feels like ten Hag has done the groundwork to take this team forward next season. If he gets backed adequately in the market, the Dutchman can push the team to challenge for a league title and go deep in the Champions League.
