They faced very different tasks on arriving in Manchester but both were quick to make tough calls to improve their teamsTwo bald men with gimlet stares. Two coaches united by a Cruyffian vision of football and trying to impose it in a foreign land. But as Sunday’s Manchester derby approaches, it doesn’t feel as though Pep Guardiola and Erik ten Hag have that much in common.Ten Hag’s star is rising. After his successes at Ajax, only now are his ideas reaching a truly global public and being tested at the highest level. Guardiola is the old master, with 10 championships in the big five leagues to his name. His philosophy is not merely well-known but has shaped the modern game...
Signing strong, bright characters means the manager now has the players to make up for a lack of personal magnetismFootball management is difficult – unless, of course, you’re a football writer. But otherwise – if you’re a football manager, say – it’s one of the hardest jobs there is, which is why almost everyone who tries it fails somewhere along the line.That’s the case even if they end up at Manchester United, whose standing in the game since the second world war is down to the achievements of just two men: Matt Busby and Alex Ferguson. And what defines them, along with all the others who’ve enjoyed even moderate success in the role – Tommy Docherty, Ron Atkinson, Louis van...
Four consecutive wins are reward for quickly integrating new signings, reinvigorating others and, most of all, being decisiveErik ten Hag is beginning to suggest he has several methods for reviving Manchester United after their remarkable resurgence from two opening defeats to four wins on the bounce, culminating with Sunday’s emphatic 3-1 victory over Arsenal.To be inside Old Trafford was to experience the stadium in a rare jubilant mood as United enthusiasts witnessed their team put away the league leaders and end the contest at a canter. The prevailing sense was of surprise at a memory: that this is how it felt during the golden years of Sir Alex Ferguson’s reign and that feeling may be starting to become present again....
Erik ten Hag’s plan for such major surgery in only a short amount of time at Old Trafford is both ambitious and flawedWe probably need to talk about the money first. It’s the 13th most expensive transfer of all time, slotting in between Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid. It brings Manchester United’s spending this window to about £200m plus potential add‑ons, and together with the signings of Tyrell Malacia and Lisandro Martínez means United are responsible for about 48% of the Eredivisie’s entire summer transfer income.“God decides my future,” Antony said in an interview last week, when he was still an Ajax player. But, you know, an £86m bid from one of the world’s richest clubs doesn’t...
Another heavy loss at Old Trafford could have significant ramifications and the manager may have to sacrifice idealsErik ten Hag is confident in his ability to turn around Manchester United’s fortunes despite defeats in their two opening Premier League fixtures. Unfortunately for the new head coach, the 4-0 loss to Brentford showed his players are failing to implement his style effectively, sapping morale to its lowest point at Old Trafford.It is admirable that Ten Hag wants to replicate the formula that has worked for him elsewhere to make huge strides at United in the long term but with a fixture against Liverpool awaiting on Monday, another heavy loss could have significant ramifications. Trying to adjust to a new set of...