Manchester United could do a lot worse than reintegrate Steve McClaren into the club’s set-up if – as now appears increasingly likely – Ajax’s Erik Ten Hag is confirmed as the club’s head coach.
Ten Hag is a razor sharp coach with the credentials to rebuild a club that requires a major rethink. But perhaps he should heed a warning from the Ralf Rangnick camp that reveals much about where it has gone wrong for another forward-thinking football man who thought he could bring order to Old Trafford chaos.
“Ralf didn’t understand the way it is in the Premier League dressing room, the things you just don’t do,” a source close to the manager told i earlier this year. Cancelling days off and changing the training schedule in mid-season were things he “shouldn’t have done” and marked small erosions in his authority in the early days of his time as interim boss.
Rangnick had wanted to bring in an associate with first hand experience of Premier League dressing rooms and the vagaries of English football culture. Manchester United demurred.
More from Football
Arsenal's biggest barrier to the top four is not Spurs or Man Utd, but their threadbare squad05 April, 2022
Tierney expected to miss rest of the season as injury pile-up dents Arsenal's top four hopes05 April, 2022
The key games that will decide the top four race between Arsenal, Spurs, Man Utd and West Ham05 April, 2022“He made some small mistakes that ended up being costly ones, just from not having that knowledge,” the source said.
Ten Hag may not have got the job yet, but it’s understood that people around him are interrogating the Manchester United “project”. Reports suggesting McClaren – who was Ten Hag’s boss at FC Twente in 2008-09 – is under consideration to be the assistant manager make a lot of sense.
Make no mistake, he would take the role. From speaking to McClaren earlier this year, it’s clear the fire still burns brightly for a man who worked under Sir Alex Ferguson during a golden era at Old Trafford.
Related Stories
“Whether it’s at club level or international level, I’ve still got a lot to give,” he told i. “I’ve still got that energy and passion. There’s been good times and bad times but to use my experience, I’m excited by that.”
McClaren would counsel Ten Hag on the Premier League’s unique challenges but he’d also bring an innovative voice to the managerial set-up. He continues to soak up new trends in coaching, working tirelessly in roles in Fifa and with sports technology and psychology to pinpoint the latest opportunities to improve.
Added to that, his knowledge of Manchester United as an institution would be invaluable.
from Football | News and analysis from the Premier League and beyond | iNews https://ift.tt/tYlxXRF
Post a Comment