Erik ten Hag ‘too wedded to plan’ at Man Utd as his stance on new Premier League job clear

Former Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag is itching to redeem himself after his initial Premier League venture didn’t pan out as hoped.

This insight comes from former Dutch international Ryan Babel, who got a second shot at glory on these shores with Fulham following an almost decade-long hiatus after his Liverpool days. Babel, who had a brief stint under Ten Hag’s wing at Ajax during a 2020 loan spell, has no doubts about the Dutchman’s mettle.

Despite clinching the Carabao Cup in his inaugural season with United and bagging the FA Cup in the following one, Ten Hag was shown the door due to poor league performances. The Red Devils wrapped up last season in eighth place, even after splurging on new talent, and gave their manager the boot just nine games into the new term with the squad languishing in 14th.

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Over a month since he left Old Trafford, the erstwhile Ajax chief hasn’t settled on his next chapter. Babel acknowledged Ten Hag’s prowess, having seen it up close, but also recognised the stark contrasts between the Eredivisie and the Premier League.

Speaking to Instant Casino, Babel remarked, “I do know that he is a great coach, he has a great vision, he has a great eye for football but, again, the Premier League is a different ball game to the Dutch way of playing,” adding, “It is not always suitable in the Premier League to play with those principles,” reports the Mirror.

“In the Premier League, you need to be able to adapt. You need to have a plan B for strategy. I’m not sure if he had that. I think he was too wedded to his plan and tried to make it work even when it was turning against him. That’s what I believe happened. It’s sad of course to see a fellow Dutchman go down like that, but I’m sure he will bounce back.”

When quizzed about a potential comeback to the English top-flight for Ten Hag, Babel remarked: “He seems like a type who wants to bounce back. Whether he gets that chance, I don’t know. But he definitely wants to prove himself.”

Following Ten Hag’s departure, United hit a four-game unbeaten streak across all competitions with interim manager Ruud van Nistelrooy at the helm. His full-time successor, Ruben Amorim, clinched victories in two of his initial three matches, drawing one, but faced his first loss at Arsenal on Wednesday.

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Post-Arsenal match, the Portuguese coach conceded that squad rotation is essential during the packed schedule, with nine fixtures lined up for December. “In this moment, it is impossible to play with the same team,” he admitted after the defeat at Arsenal.

“They [the players] have to feel they are part of the team, but we are changing the methodology, we are changing a lot of things. We are changing the way we play, the way we press, so we have to have all the players fit. 

“We cannot have injuries in this moment because it will be tough to cope with all the games so we will manage the way we feel is the better way for the team.”