You really did read that correctly
New Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag is going to have his work cut out when he arrives at Old Trafford in the summer.
From the squad overhaul to reigniting the atmosphere in the dressing room, it won’t be an overnight job for the Dutchman as he puts his own stamp on United in a bid to help them return to the glory days.
The 52-year-old has been lauded for his work at Ajax where their football is extremely pleasing on the eye and has been hugely successful – winning five trophies in just under four years at the club.
‘His mantra was always that ‘good is not good enough’
His standards are high and United players will be in for a shock according to one of his former players, who says that playing ‘good’ isn’t good enough.
Kevin Conboy was a part of Ten Hag’s squad when the 52-year-old was at FC Utrecht, where he explained that his former boss demands the very best and is always looking for ways to improve.
“The way I would describe him is that it didn’t matter if you won 4-0 or if in your eyes you had a good game. He could say ‘very good, but there are always things to improve,” Conboy told the Daily Star.
“His mantra was always that ‘good is not good enough. It can always be better.’ If we won 4-0, it could be 5-0, but in general, he just lived and breathed football.”
Conboy revealed that Ten Hag adopted some peculiar methods on the training pitch
As with any manager, they have their own ways of asserting their authority on the squad and Conboy revealed that Ten Hag had some rather peculiar methods when it came to ensuring his side weren’t sloppy in possession.
“It was the same in every training exercise,” the 34-year-old said.
“Even a simple passing drill, he would be over you all the time.
“You could have ten good passes and one that bounced a little bit and he would make a frog sound, almost like a duck’s quack, like he was jumping as it had to be on the floor.”
It may sound funny but it’s clearly got results for the highly-rated manager. Let’s hope for the sake of the United team they brush up on their passing otherwise they may feel like they are at a local pond as oppose to a training ground.
Related links:
- Erik ten Hag prepared to give forgotten Man United player a chance in first-team
- Man Utd players said to be ‘ambivalent’ and ‘underwhelmed’ by Erik ten Hag appointment
- Erik ten Hag to become next Man United manager
