Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United advanced tactics explained ahead of manager appointment
One of Erik ten Hag’s former Manchester United teammates has described his strategies.
Ten Hag is expected to join United next season after being interviewed last month and selected as the preferred candidate by the club’s hierarchy. According to sources in the Netherlands, Ajax’s manager is expected to leave for England by the end of the season.
The focus is shifting to how a Ten Hag United team may look if he takes over the club. addressing the I Robbin Ruiter, who was trained by the current Ajax manager at Utrecht, outlined his football philosophy.
“From the start, you could tell he was at a very high level tactically,” Ruiter explained. “In the beginning, it was every 20 seconds during training games: ‘Stop.’
“You’d have to come to a halt, and he’d explain what he needed.” However, after a few weeks, everyone knew, and the influence on the team was so beneficial that no one needed to stop.
“Every detail was covered — not just the opponents, but our own squad as well.” Erik was distinct, something out of the ordinary.
“His degree of fascination with football is out of this world; he is obsessed with it 24 hours a day, seven days a week.” He was a fantastic coach as well as a wonderful person.”
“The workouts were long and difficult,” Ruiter said of the training sessions. It wasn’t physically difficult, but it was mentally difficult and unlike anything, we’d ever experienced.
“At first, many players were skeptical of how we trained. It wasn’t typical.
“We’d come from a coach who offered us a lot of freedom and fun – laughing and joking around – and we went to a coach like Erik who put us through three hours on the pitch where you don’t think you’re doing much.” ‘What are we doing?’ wondered the players.
“However, you gradually realize that you’re improving as a team.” We had a game, and a lot of things on the practice field came together, giving us a great push.
“We all believed in the project from that moment on.”
