Mitchell van der Gaag will solve biggest problem in Manchester United dressing room

Mitchell van der Gaag was pictured writing notes at Selhurst Park as Manchester United played Crystal Palace on the final day of the season. The Dutchman sat alongside Erik ten Hag, Steve McClaren, John Murtough and Richard Arnold as United lost 1-0.

The appointments of Van der Gaag and McClaren were yet to be announced, but their presence at Selhurst with Ten Hag was everything except official confirmation they had joined the club as assistant coaches. Although Van der Gaag was pictured sharing jokes with McClaren, the pair weren't laughing after full-time. It's likely the size of the challenge ahead dawned on them.

McClaren worked under Sir Alex Ferguson for two trophy-laden years between 1999 and 2001 and he'll need no time to ease back into life at Carrington. The reaction to McClaren's return was mixed but it seems like a pragmatic decision - his credentials are obvious.

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Ten Hag also asked Van der Gaag to join him in Manchester and for good reason. While Van der Gaag only spent last season working as Ten Hag's assistant at Ajax, where they won the Eredivisie together, he's built a reputation as a respected Dutch coach.

Van der Gaag's coaching career began in Portugal with Maritimo and Belenenses, whom he led back to the Primeira Liga by winning the Segunda Liga. Van der Gaag then returned to the Netherlands in 2015, where he worked with FC Eindhoven.

After a year with Eindhoven, Van der Gaag spent two with Excelsior and one with NAC before joining Ajax in 2019. The 50-year-old spent two seasons coaching Ajax's reserves before joining the first-team and that's when his relationship with Ten Hag blossomed.

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