Having fought with Pochettino for the manager’s job at Manchester United, Erik ten Hag now wants to take a fitness coach from Ajax to Manchester United. The Ajax coach was previously the first team fitness coach under Sir Alex Ferguson and has a proven track record of making players more fit. The club has told its recruitment department to finalize shortlists of players for every position. Ten Hag wants to bring his own fitness coach to Manchester United after I landed the job, so he could choose from a list of players to suit the role.
Ajax is likely to be happy to let Ten Hag take a fitness coach from their club, as he is already familiar with the Dutch game. The Dutch side plays a possession game but didn’t get very far in the Champions League this season, losing in the round of 16 to Benfica. So this could be a great opportunity for Ten Hag.
Ajax has an impressive list of players. They include Fred, Bruno Fernandes, Jadon Sancho, and Scott McTominay. In the midfield, Manchester United needs reinforcements. While the midfield has plenty of talent, the defense can use a revamp. The fullbacks are all strong in different ways. If they are to push for the Premier League title, they need to make some additions in the midfield.
Rangnick’s training sessions have been criticized by players. However, Ten Hag will surely expose those critics. He is well known for meticulous planning and video analysis of each training session. He has made it clear to the board that they need more aggressive and physical players. With this appointment, United has a new fitness coach. It is a risky move but could pay off later.
In other news, Manchester United is keen on hiring ten Hag and has held talks with the Ajax chief executive, Edwin van der Sar. Both have previous experience coaching at Manchester United, but Erik ten Hag is the preferred candidate and is expected to become the permanent manager in the summer. The club is also keen to sign Ralf Rangnick, who left to join PSG.
The former Chelsea assistant coach worked under Steve McClaren at FC Twente during the 2008/09 season. While playing under the legendary manager, he relied heavily on McClaren’s ideas and tactics in training. However, the Dutchman is eager to get a job at Manchester United and hopes to bring his fitness coach with him. Hopefully, he can convince the board to hire him.
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Despite being 52 years old, Ten Hag already has all the attributes needed to become a top manager. He has a reputation as a coach who can bring the youth into his team. His recent achievements include leading Ajax to two Eredivisie titles and taking the club to the Champions League semi-finals. In addition to Ajax’s success, Ten Hag has been linked with both Liverpool and Manchester City.