Who is Erik Ten Hag – Man Utd’s new head coach?

Erik Ten Hag, 52, will become the eighth person appointed by Manchester United as head coach in the past 10 years. After the 2021/22 season ends, the Dutchman will leave Ajax and sign a 3-year contract with the Old Trafford team.

Born in 1970, Erik Ten Hag was not famous as a player. He only played for middleweight clubs in the Dutch league (Eredivisie) before retiring at the age of 32 and starting his coaching career in youth teams.

The name Erik Ten Hag was mentioned a lot in Europe when he led Ajax to the semi-finals Champions League 2018/19. With a squad consisting of Frenkie de Jong, Matthijs de Ligt, Dusan Tadic…and an eye-catching attacking style, the team led by coach Erik Ten Hag was eliminated. Real Madrid (won 4-1 at the Bernabeu) and Juventus.

Ajax is very close to the final when leading Tottenham with a total score of 2-0. The Dutch team suffered a bitter defeat because of Lucas Moura’s brilliant hat-trick in the second half of the second leg semi-final. Despite losing the match, Ajax and coach Erik Ten Hag still received a lot of praise for their dedicated attacking play reminiscent of the team’s golden age in the past.

Coach Erik Ten Hag helped Ajax win 2 Eredivisie titles, 2 national cups, dominated Dutch football from the 2018/19 season (missing only one title because the 2019/20 season was canceled). The Dutch military leader is aiming for another double title before leaving Ajax.

The arrival of coach Erik Ten Hag at Man Utd can suggest for Red Devils fans an interesting topic of comparison with rivals in the same city. After many years of witnessing Man City With coach Pep Guardiola dominating the Premier League, now Man Utd also has its own leader with a similar appearance and football style.

“I learned a lot from Guardiola. His philosophy is excellent.” Coach Erik Ten Hag revealed in a 2019 interview.

“What he did at Barcelona, ​​Bayern and now Man City, the charming attacking football that has made him so successful. That’s the formula I tried to replicate at Ajax.”

Erik Ten Hag used to work in the second team of Bayern Munich. During that time, the head coach of this team was Guardiola. The Spaniard’s working philosophy – from tactics to the way he works – has a significant influence on the man who is about to become the head coach of Man Utd.

The 52-year-old coach has been described by former students and associates as a lover of perfection in every detail. He even asked staff in the team’s cafeteria to line up water bottles in the right way.

A player who has been coached by coach Erik Ten Hag said that he and his teammates were once reprimanded for completing the running exercise faster than the time required by the teacher. For the Dutchman, everything must go according to plan.