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Breaking down Erik ten Hag's first Manchester United press conference
Erik Ten Hag does not believe joining Manchester United at this low ebb is a risk, with the newly-appointed manager hopeful of breaking the Manchester City and Liverpool duopoly.
Sunday's 1-0 loss at Crystal Palace was a fitting end to a wretched campaign in which the Red Devils recorded their lowest ever Premier League points tally.
Ten Hag was at Selhurst Park for United's meek season finale and officially began work on Monday, when the former Ajax boss stepped through the doors of Old Trafford for the first time.
The 52-year-old said "it feels like my home already" as he outlined his vision for the floundering team at Monday's unveiling press conference.
James Ducker analyses Ten Hag's most telling comments.
On ending the divisions and unrest in a toxic dressing room
“I want to build and construct a team who are battling for each other, who are unified and who will get results. They have to cooperate together.”
Jesse Lingard was not overstating things when he described United’s dressing room as a “disaster” during a conversation with Paul Scholes and Ten Hag has sought to address the issue immediately. As factions and cliques have taken root, mistrust has spread.
There are players who feel team-mates lack the mentality, work ethic and drive to succeed at Old Trafford and others who feel gross self-interest has sabotaged any hopes of fostering a sense of togetherness. At least one player has been known to roll his eyes when another is talking.
Alex Telles and Hannibal Mejbri were involved in a heated altercation in training earlier this month and, while that sort of thing is often considered a positive in a successful squad that is pulling in the same direction, it was just another sign of the tensions at Old Trafford. Getting rid of the bad eggs and repairing rifts will test Ten Hag’s man-management skills like never before.
On how he intends to play
“The way we did it [at Ajax] – with dominant, dictating football – that is the way I want to act at Man United as well. We have to do total high pressing and play adventurous football. But we have to bring structure to the way of playing so we can play attacking football.”
United are not only bad to watch, they have becoming boring, a cardinal sin at a club famous for entertaining football. They finished their worst ever Premier League campaign with a goal difference of zero and seven of their 12 defeats were humiliations.
A 37-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo was responsible for a third of the team’s goals. Ten Hag has an awful lot of work to do on the training ground – firstly, to get the team fit enough to sustain a high intensity game and also to get a Frankenstein squad assembled by five different managers to buy into his methods.
Sources say United’s players are craving direction and leadership from the manager after getting none from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his interim replacement Ralf Rangnick. Ten Hag does not possess the best grasp of English, but must communicate his ideas quickly and clearly.
On the appointment of Steve McClaren and Mitchell van der Gaag as his assistants
“They both know how to get success. They both won titles in their careers and that’s why they are here.”
Former England manager Steve McClaren, who was Sir Alex Ferguson’s No 2 at Old Trafford, has been brought on board for his experience and knowledge of English football, as well as his coaching acumen, and Van der Gaag is regarded as a dynamic, progressive coach who shares Ten Hag’s philosophy and work ethic.
United’s players are expecting a marked upgrade in the quality of coaching after being left distinctly unimpressed with Rangnick and his backroom staff. The former Toronto FC coach, Chris Armas, was considered to be out of his depth by some and earned the nickname “Ted Lasso” after the hapless American coach placed in charge of the fictional AFC Richmond in the hit Apple+ comedy series.
Rangnick’s decision to receive live in-game tactical advice from an unpaid performance analyst from Lokomotiv Moscow, Lars Kornetka, left some staff baffled and at times marginalised Paul Brand, United’s head performance analyst.
A delegation of senior players, including Ronaldo, Raphael Varane, Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes, questioned the tactics during one meeting with Rangnick. There were complaints at times that there was not enough clarity, guidance or preparation over what was expected of them going into some matches.
Players also struggled to understand why Rangnick sanctioned so many days off. One source said the news that Rangnick had mistakenly turned up for training at Carrington after giving them a day off summed up the confusion at the club.
On Harry Maguire’s prospects of retaining the United captaincy
“Next season is a different season but he did a great job. He is a great player, he already achieved a lot with his contribution to Manchester United. I’m looking forward to working with him.”
Ten Hag has a big decision to make over Maguire and the captaincy and carefully sidestepped the question while, at the same time, praising the England defender.
Some at the club feel there have been deliberate attempts from inside the dressing room to destabilise Maguire this season.
Others believe his status as captain and £85million price tag have seen him afforded a greater level of protection than he deserves given his performances.
On whether he will consult Ralf Rangnick about the United squad
“I think it’s part of my analysis. I analyse by myself and I speak with a lot of people but, finally, I will draw my own line.”
Asked if he endorsed the vague consultancy role Rangnick is set to juggle with his next job as head coach of the Austria national team, Ten Hag hardly gave it his full backing. “That is on the club,” he replied. Rangnick has been vocal about the changes he feels need to be made at the club and claimed the squad require the equivalent of “openheart” surgery but his influence is likely to be minimal going forward.
