Erik ten Hag to Man Utd: Thread examines Ajax coach's tactics

Is Erik ten Hag Manchester United’s saviour?

The Ajax coach is one of a number of names in the mix for the permanent position at Old Trafford and a report from the Daily Mail this week added credence to the thought that he’s England-bound.

According to reporter Sami Mokbel, Ten Hag has his heart set on a move to United and is currently learning English as he prepares to take on a new job in the summer.

Whether that’s with the Red Devils or elsewhere remains to be seen. But Ten Hag has proven himself to be a fine coach in the Netherlands, where he’s led Ajax to a couple of Eredivisie titles and the semi-final of the Champions League.

So, what can United fans expect should Ten Hag take the job?

The tactician has attracted widespread praise for his exciting, attacking system that fits the mould of a prototypical modern manager. 

And the fact that Ajax have conceded just seven goals in 24 league games in 2021/22 shows he knows how to put together a good defence, too.

“Erik is rightly regarded as one of the most exciting coaching talents in world football at the moment because of the work he does with Ajax,” Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp said about Ten Hag in 2020.

“Of course, it is a wonderful club – one of the stellar names of European football – but in this moment it is clear they have outstanding leadership of the organisation and Erik is a big part of that.”

Wiser men than us understand the intricacies of Ten Hag’s system and so we have analyst @EBL2017 to thank for breaking it down in a thread that’s gone viral on Twitter. 

In the thread, the analyst highlights the ways in which Ten Hag’s 4-3-3 creates various angles for his players to exploit, resulting in favourite situations on either flank such as a 1v1 or the