Erik Ten Hag: The Manager, The Tactician And The Person
Discussions have raged on within the last week over whether Erik ten Hag has the personality and charisma to light a fire under the Manchester United players in such a bleak time at the club, but anecdotes from the past may point towards the fact the Tukker from Twente does know how to ignite a spark in the hearts of those around him.
While Ten Hag was at FC Utrecht, he won the hearts of the players in the dressing room, developing a core squad that was ready to do what it took for him. Buying into his methods and believing in his philosophy every step of the way. One situation in particular led the players to be ready to run through walls for their Dutch coach, in a show of passion that may point towards the real Erik ten Hag and not the one being portrayed in the media in recent weeks.
Erik Ten Hag, Passion:
Utrecht were 3-0 down after the first-leg of a Europa League play-off against AZ Alkmaar, and the night before the second-leg, Erik ten Hag’s son was involved in a life-threatening car crash, which left Willem Janssen and many inside the Utrecht dressing room wondering if the manager would even be at the game, which was a huge moment in the history of the club.
Ten Hag turned up on the morning of the game, ready to do the team meeting. The United manager told the players, “My son has miraculously survived this accident; now it is up to you to make a miracle too.” Utrecht won the game 3-0 and beat Alkmaar on penalties.
Of course, this is the past, and the situation at United is a completely different scenario. It’s more difficult to get the buy-in of players at the biggest club on the planet, but it does go against suggestions Erik is incapable of lighting a fire in the belly of the players he coaches.
Many have questioned his communication, a problem that may be more prevalent in England than it was in Holland. Some in the Netherlands found it at times difficult to understand the man from the countryside of Twente, but over time they slowly became enamoured with the sheer brilliance of his tactical regimen, which was on display on a day-to-day basis.
Many players have referred to Ten Hag as the best coach they’ve worked with. In an interview with the Guardian, Willem Jansen expressed that many at both Utrecht and Ajax shared this belief.
Urby Emmanuelson has previously made references to similar concepts. Ten Hag is a detail-oriented manager, obsessed with the finer details. He would frequently stop training sessions in the past, showcasing to a player why they were in the wrong position and highlighting to them where they needed to be and why. Over time, his teachings became more clear to the players, and with that, success and improvements began to show.
Many have questioned the human side of the United coach, but players he’s worked with in the past have said that although at times he can be difficult to speak to due to his focus on games, he does have a human side. He hired a specialist to speak to the players during his reign at Utrecht and would frequently go to players houses if he felt they were struggling with issues outside of the pitch.
Ten Hag’s human side has been on show with Jadon Sancho, allowing the former United winger to go to Holland for a couple of months to try and get into the right headspace. In the end, that project failed, but it was an attempt by Ten Hag to get Sancho back firing. He did care for the player.
A Master Tactician
Situations like the one at United right now are not unknown to Erik. He mentioned yesterday that he will not panic, as he has experienced similar situations at every club he has been at, and always finds a solution at the end of the darkness. During his first season at Utrecht, the team finished fifth, despite coming 11th in the league the season prior.
Ten Hag failed to win any of his opening three games as Utrecht manager but finally tasted victory in the fourth against Groningen. Famous wins in his first season at the club came against the likes of Ajax, who failed to beat the man who would eventually become their manager in the coming seasons during that campaign.
During his managerial career, Ten Hag has never dropped below 1.72 points per game at any club. He’s won 71 of his opening 123 games for United, tasting defeat in 35. According to Transfermarkt, the only United manager in the last decade who boasts a better PPG ratio than Erik is Jose Mourinho
Philosophy wise, the United manager’s idols are Rinus Michaels, Louis Van Gaal, and Johan Cruyff. Michael’s beliefs and principles lay within a high line and possession with a purpose, something that is deeply rooted in Erik ten Hag’s beliefs. The turnover is a huge area of football the 52-year-old has referenced in the past, stating that it was a key and crucial aspect in the modern game.
“What do we do when we win the ball? I often thought that at Ajax we think winning the ball is playing possession. But if we win the ball and the opponent is open, you have to recognise the moment and must play forward immediately.”
The Misconceptions Around His Style:
Perhaps people developed a misconception of Erik ten Hag due to the DNA style of possession-based football at Ajax, but his mantra has always been rooted slightly differently than possession for its own sake. The Dutchman’s philosophy heavily emphasizes the element of surprise and directness during transitions, which helps to explain the situations we witness at Manchester United. He’ll never be a Pep Guardiola but closer to a Jurgen Klopp.
Many United fans have also questioned why Andre Onana often plays long, but it’s important to note that this approach is not new under Erik. The long ball, to the man himself, can be a quicker root to goal than baiting the press, which is a tactic he utilised a lot with Sebastian Haller at Utrecht to excellent effect.
Utrecht’s narrow front three at times, accompanied by the aerial prowess of Haller, allowed them to make the ball stick in those attacking areas, and a long ball unlocked that ability in ways possession football could not at times.
Innovation has been a hallmark of his approach at every club. Go Ahead Eagles played differently than FC Utrecht. FC Utrecht’s style of play differs from that of Ajax, and vice versa. He truly meant it when he stated, “I will never play Ajax football at Manchester United,” as Ajax football is not his sole philosophical belief.
His time in Germany adapted his beliefs in football. That period at Bayern II, where he was hugely successful, changed his view on how footballers should behave and perform.
The United coach has always maintained that the quality of the players determines the system. Within his first season at United, the system needed to thrive required a more pragmatic approach, but since then, Ten Hag obviously believes the levels of the players have risen and the team can be more adventurous and front-footed in games, which has yet to yield the desired successes he would have hoped.
Why Has It Gone Wrong?
It’s challenging to fully nail down why Ten Hag has not been truly successful at United yet. This is a talented tactical coach, who is one of the best on the market in fact. Are the Manchester United players not buying into the methods? Is the communication situation and issue given that English is not his first language? All are possibilities. Erik could very well go on to be successful at his next club should a change happen, with a date with Bayern Munich something that feels destined in the future despite the brilliant start to life at the club Vincent Kompany has made.
Sections of the fan base have become frustrated, especially after the Spurs game at the weekend. United were so painfully average, and Ten Hag’s setup was surprising, especially considering how the team has started the season with some impressive performances but ultimately not enough victories.
Tactical Flexibility:
Certain games have shown the true quality of the coach, with both games against Manchester City at Wembley in recent months highlighting Ten Hag’s ability to mow a world-class side down and catch them in key areas of weakness.
City, as dominant as they are and have been, have been vulnerable on transition since the beginning of last season, especially in wide spaces out left. Ten Hag recognized this vulnerability and implemented a compact 4-2-2-2 formation, aiming to impede central progression and work to catch City off guard in wide areas.
This tactical adaptability is impressive, but the question on the minds of United fans is, why can’t we see this every week?
Time will tell on Ten Hag, and the next two games are HUGE in his race to remain the manager at United. Porto are second in the Portuguese league and present a scary threat with their pace in wide areas and quality centrally, particularly with Alan Varela, a player many in the Premier League are eager to get their hands on.
Failure to win against Porto will make it a bleak sight for United, who face an Aston Villa side who are truly firing on all cylinders under the genius of Unai Emery.
Alas, Erik has been in bleaker situations at United and turned it around. Jonny Evans credited his tactical flexibility after the Crystal Palace game as the reason they were able to beat Brighton and Newcastle as well as Manchester City in the FA Cup final. Ten Hag will need to showcase that knowledge and flexibility against Porto, as well as face the seemingly impossible task of beating Aston Villa at Villa Park on Sunday.
Ten Hag has talked in the past about football being much more than just tactics but also psychological and emotional processes, which he has referenced at times in defeats, especially when United have gone 1-0 down and not stuck to a plan.
Suggestions have been made in the past that the shirt weighs too heavy on the shoulders at the players of the club. That thirst for fans to emulate what was can halt the process and affect what currently is. Going 1-0 down in games sometimes feels like the end of the world for the players, and they may be veering away from the plan in training because of that.
Many have suggested that he doesn’t seek advice from Ruud Van Nistelrooy and René Hake, but he brought in those two coaches specifically for this purpose, and he has in the past relied on coaches at other clubs to confirm whether his immediate thoughts were truly outlandish or correct.
Ten Hag believes in his ability and his view on coaching, but sometimes he does see the necessity for change. That will be needed if he is to remain Manchester United manager come the end of May, but one thing is for sure: he is good enough to turn this around.
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