Pranav Nair
Mitchell Van der Gaag is unlikely to leave Manchester United for Ajax Amsterdam
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag can breathe a sigh of relief as his man Friday Mitchell Van der Gaag is set to stay on at Old Trafford.
This comes in the wake of Ajax Amsterdam’s partying ways with Maurice Steijn after a poor run of results. There is turmoil both on and off the field at the Eredivisie giants as their Director of Football, Sven Mislintat was also let go in September.
With fans making their anger known publicly, there is much work to be done at the Johan Cruyff Arena to restore the club’s standings as the top dogs in Dutch football. It thus perhaps makes sense that they are keen to bring in a manager who is already familiar with the club.
This is where Van der Gaag comes in. The Manchester United assistant is high up on Ajax’s wishlist as the Dutch giants look for the right man for the post. The 52-year-old was previously in charge of Ajax’s youth team from 2019 to 2021, before joining Ten Hag in the senior dugout.
Ten Hag’s deputy also has the backing of former Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal, who is back at Ajax in an advisory role. Enquiries for Van der Gaag were made regarding any release clause but without much success.
However, according to the Mirror (h/t Metro), Van der Gaag has already made it clear to Manchester United that he is going nowhere. It is a massive boost for Ten Hag to retain his trusted lieutenant as he aims to salvage what has been a poor start to the 2023-24 season.
While Ten Hag is the face of the team, his support staff plays an important role behind the scenes to ensure the best tactics are in play for the players to succeed on the field. Every manager has a man Friday and Van der Gaag is Tern Hag’s right-handed man.
We are glad the 52-year-old has opted to stay put and aid Ten Hag’s cause at the Theatre of Dreams. He is a reliable and key component behind the scenes and has a huge role to play in what awaits us this season.
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A hero’s return to Ajax certainly would have been a tempting move. But taking the job is similar to being handed a poisoned chalice. Staying put at Old Trafford is what is best for the 52-year-old and we are glad he chose to take up the option to do so. If anything, it displays his commitment to the club’s cause.
