Manchester United is getting ready for a new beginning under new manager Erik ten Hag.
Dutch manager Ten Hag won his third Eredivisie title with Ajax before leaving the club. He left Ajax sooner than expected at the end of the season in order to have a head start at United for the next season.
And, after confirming the exits of Paul Pogba, Nemanja Matic, Jesse Lingard, and Juan Mata in recent weeks, the rebuild is once again starting. Ten Hag takes over after a terrible season in which United finished sixth despite going into the season hoping to fight for the Premier League title.
In November, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was fired and replaced on an interim basis by Ralf Rangnick, who did not obtain a response from the players despite being tasked with improving the tactical side of things at United.
Rangnick will not complete a consultant job as needed following Ten Hag’s appointment, despite the fact that just about everything at Old Trafford has been changed, from players to coaching staff, much to the satisfaction of fans.
Danny Murphy, on the other hand, is sceptical about the Dutchman’s entry into the club.
Murphy, a former midfielder for Tottenham Hotspur, and Liverpool has discussed the vacant coaching role at Old Trafford and was asked on talkSPORT of Ten Hag and current England manager Gareth Southgate if he would have been picked for the job.
Murphy opted for the latter, going into further depth about his response, which included bringing in Southgate’s assistant Steve Holland.
He said:
“I know them. I think they’ve come a long way, the pair of them, and have a great partnership. What they’ve achieved with England, managing big players. Gareth has evolved into a very intelligent football manager.”
“With Steve by his side, they would do a great job at a big club. What United needs now isn’t all about on the pitch. They will be judged on that, but initially what does United need? They need someone to bring together this squad and try and create the unity, atmosphere, and energy that England has. I think that would be fair.”
“What Ten Hag has done, of course, is credible winning the league three times with Ajax and he did alright with Utrecht. He’s not managed big players at a big club, so we don’t know how he’s going to deal with that pressure.”
“Every part of his life will be magnified, whether that will be the wrong shop at the wrong time, or driving the wrong car. Everything he does is now going to be talked about.”
He noted that United first and foremost requires someone to strengthen the squad’s unity, rather than just an improvement on the field.
Murphy praised Ten Hag’s successes in Holland with Ajax, but he expressed concern about his ability to manage big players at a club like Manchester United.
Gareth Southgate has been linked with the United position in the past, but with England’s World Cup being close and Ten Hag just getting his feet under the desk at the Theatre of Dreams, Murphy’s prediction is unlikely to come true anytime soon.
