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Sunday (May 22) was the first day of Erik ten Hag's Manchester United rebuild as he watched his new side lose 1-0 to Crystal Palace in the season's final match. Despite not yet being officially unveiled as the Manchester United manager, he looks to have started his new job.
With the 2021-22 season now over, here are five reasons why Manchester United fans worldwide can get excited with Ten Hag in charge of the massive rebuild for next season.
#5 Changes at the top
Last January, the departure of executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward indicated that the board needed to revitalise its personnel. Matt Judge, director of football negotiations, has also left the club. Chief Scout Jim Lawlor, a close confidant of Sir Alex Ferguson, and Marcel Bout, Global Scouting Chief, departed from the scouting department after a long time.
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Richard Arnold was appointed as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) as part of the shake-up. Manchester United’s first-ever Director of Football, John Murtough, has also been very active behind the scenes. He was tasked with opening discussions between Ralf Rangnick and Ten Hag.
With massive changes expected to continue, Ten Hag seems to have better support from the top than his predecessors in rebuilding this United side.
#4 Ten Hag’s record with Ajax
Ten Hag is fresh from rebuilding and winning the third consecutive Eredivisie title with Ajax. He has managed to bring Ajax back to the top as the Netherlands' most extensive team, knocking PSV Eindhoven off their perch.
Of all the Manchester United managers since Sir Alex Ferguson, only Ten Hag has arrived at United as the manager that won the league title the season prior. Jose Mourinho was the closest to him, having won the league with Chelsea in the 2014-15 season, only to be sacked in December 2015. He then became Manchester United manager for the 2016-17 season.
David Moyes’ only trophy came after he became the manager of Manchester United after winning the Community Shield in his first official match. Louis van Gaal won the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich in the 2009-10 season, four seasons before his stint at United. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is yet to win a trophy in his managerial career.
#3 Ten Hag’s work ethics
A famous Dutch football journalist, Marcel van der Kraan, labelled Ten Hag a "training beast" because of his dedication to his training sessions as seen on the Athletic's YouTube channel. He is also known for his preference to be at the training ground compared to making phone calls to agents and managing the club from his office.
The Dutchman's attention to detail has also made him labelled as a perfectionist and a workaholic. Those claims might come to life as Ten Hag had reportedly terminated his contract with Ajax six weeks before its expiration so that he could focus on Manchester United as per the Express.
Instead, he flew to United’s Mayfair HQ and held several meetings with Murtough and possibly Darren Fletcher over important aspects of the rebuild. Such a commitment is in stark contrast to what certain players in the squad have been displaying this season.
#2 Ten Hag could bring in quality players
Edinson Cavani, Nemanja Matic, Jesse Lingard, Juan Mata, Lee Grant, and Paul Pogba are set to become free agents at the end of the season. Both Cavani and Matic have stated their intention to move on from the club. Among the six players on the list, Pogba is the highest-paid player. Should all of them leave, the club would save at least £750,000 of the weekly wage.
With first-team players leaving, it will also open up space for new players to come in. With Ten Hag’s football philosophy and the club’s tradition of investing in young players, this summer's transfer window will be exciting for fans. With the additional support from the Glazers, Ten Hag could potentially enjoy a great summer window.
Apart from getting new players in, Ten Hag could also field youngsters like Alejandro Garnacho, Alvaro Fernandez, Shola Shoretire, Charlie Savage, and a few others from the academy. Both Ajax and Manchester United have a proud tradition of building their teams around academy graduates. It is hoped that Ten Hag will continue this tradition in his efforts to rebuild the team.
#1 Manchester United suffered their worst-ever season and will be eager to bounce back
The 2021-22 season has been a difficult time for the club. With the sacking of club legend Solskjaer, the season looked to be over even before Christmas in December. When Rangnick was appointed interim manager, the fans were understandably delighted.
Sadly, 28 matches later, he could only muster 1.50 points per game (PPG), which placed him as the fourth-worst manager in the history of the Red Devils. Not only that, United have broken their lowest points tally in the history of the Premier League by only getting 58 points with a 0 goal difference.
Ten Hag has his work cut out for him. However, with new personnel at the top and a new coaching staff, this Manchester United rebuild is hoped to bring the club back to its glory days.
