"He’s not afraid to make big decisions" - Former Manchester United star backs Ten Hag to turn Red Devils into a 'machine'

Former Manchester United fullback Daley Blind has lavished praise on manager Erik ten Hag. The Dutch defender believes his compatriot can lead the Red Devils back to a place of glory, something they experienced under legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

Blind also touched upon Ten Hag's impact on him during their time at former club Ajax. The Netherlands international, who now plays for La Liga side Girona, said in an interview with The Athletic (as quoted by The Peoples Person):

“I had my doubts but after a month I was sold on it and believed in every part of it. We also had the right players to do it. He is tactically so clear in what he wants and it’s easy for players to follow that. If you leave things open, there’s a space for doubt.”

He added:

“We became like a machine, better and better. In time, he can do that for United. He’s a great manager, great personality. He’s direct, honest, and tells you what he sees. He’s not afraid to make big decisions. If you don’t like it, you can go another way because his train goes on.”

Manchester United had a great 2022-23 Premier League campaign under Ten Hag in his debut season at the club. The Red Devils finished third in the league standings after securing 75 points from 38 encounters. They also won the Carabao Cup, their first trophy in six years.

However, Manchester United have had a poor start this season as they sit ninth in the table with three wins and three losses.

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"He has this intelligence" - Daley Blind heaps praise on 'strong' Manchester United star

In the aforementioned interview with The Athletic, Blind also spoke very highly of Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez. The Dutchman, while acknowledging the Argentine international's lack of height for a centre-half, believes he has expert football IQ.

Blind said:

“In England, you have an image of how each player should look and how the physical part of the player should be, but football these days is so much more than that. The typical English way of football isn’t seen in the Premier League anymore."

He added:

“For example, with Lisandro Martinez (United’s 5ft 9in former Ajax centre-back), he has this intelligence but also an aggression — he’s strong. People like to talk about his height when something goes wrong but he is so good on and off the ball that his height is not an issue."

"Martinez is a great player. He’s clever enough to stand his ground in the Premier League and it was the same for me.”

The Red Devils secured Martinez's signature last summer for £47 million from Ajax. The 2022 FIFA World Cup winner had a stellar debut season at Old Trafford, helping them achieve a top-four finish and a Carabao Cup win.

The former Ajax defender registered 45 appearances across all competitions for Manchester United during the 2022-23 campaign, recording one goal. It remains to be seen how he will fare for the Red Devils this season.