REVOLUTION
Erik ten Hag: Man United confirm next manager, with Dutchman to take over in the summer after finishing season with Ajax
Manchester United have confirmed Erik ten Hag will be their next permanent manager, with the Dutchman excited by the challenge of trying to turn the Premier League giants around.
Ten Hag will leave Ajax to take charge at Old Trafford in the summer, with current interim United manager Ralf Rangnick stepping aside as planned and moving into a consultancy role.
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He has agreed a contract which will run until June 2025, with the option to extend for a further year.
Ten Hag, 52, has been Ajax manager since 2017 and has won two Eredivisie titles and two Dutch Cups.
He is on the verge of winning a third league title, with Ajax four points clear at the top of the table with five games left of the 2021/22 season.
Ten Hag said: “It is a great honour to be appointed manager of Manchester United and I am hugely excited by the challenge ahead.
"I know the history of this great club and the passion of the fans, and I am absolutely determined to develop a team capable of delivering the success they deserve.
“It will be difficult to leave Ajax after these incredible years, and I can assure our fans of my complete commitment and focus on bringing this season to a successful conclusion before I move to Manchester United.”
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Rangnick has been in interim charge since November, having replaced the sacked Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Solskjaer led the Red Devils for almost three years but was unable to win a trophy at the club where he became a legend in his playing days.
His inability to succeed despite the signings of iconic forward Cristiano Ronaldo, England superstar Jadon Sancho and World Cup winner Raphael Varane curtailed his career with the club.
German coach Rangnick then arrived in attempt to steady the ship until the end of the current campaign, before moving into a two-year consultancy role.
But performances have continued to slip and Manchester United currently sit sixth in the Premier League table and facing a huge battle to finish in the top four.
United's 4-0 mauling at rivals Liverpool on Tuesday underlined the work required to turn around the 20-time champions, who have failed to launch a sustained title bid since last winning the league in 2013.
Paris Saint-Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino was the initial favourite to succeed Solskjaer, but Ten Hag ended up as the undisputed choice following a rigorous process.
John Murtough, United's football director, said of their new manager: “During the past four years at Ajax, Erik has proved himself to be one of the most exciting and successful coaches in Europe, renowned for his team’s attractive, attacking football and commitment to youth.
“In our conversations with Erik leading up to this appointment, we were deeply impressed with his long-term vision for returning Manchester United to the level we want to be competing at, and his drive and determination to achieve that.
“We wish Erik the best of luck as he focuses on achieving a successful end to the season at Ajax and look forward to welcoming him to Manchester United this summer.”
Ajax also confirmed the news with chief executive, and former Manchester United goalkeeper, Edwin van der Sar saddened by the departure and insistent Ten Hag would remain focused on the Dutch giants' title bid.
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He said: "Four and a half years is a good amount of time, but we would have liked to have kept Erik at Ajax for longer. He is going to make the step to one of the biggest clubs in the world, in a fantastic league."
"We owe Erik a lot of thanks for what he has achieved with Ajax so far, but we are not done yet. At the end of the season, I will look back more extensively on his departure. For now, what matters is the final games of the season in which we all want to bring home the league title."
Meanwhile, Ten Hag added: "I'm happy that it has been finalised and that it has been officially announced. That clarity is important. But I only have one interest now and that's these last five games.
"I want to finish my time here on a positive note, by winning the league. By doing so, we'll qualify directly for the Champions League. Ajax belongs there."
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Before becoming a coach, Ten Hag had a modest playing career in the Eredivisie with clubs including Twente and Utrecht.
But his coaching career was a success from the off, leading Go Ahead Eagles to the Dutch top flight in his only season with the club in 2012/13.
He then moved to Bayern Munich II, working near to current Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, a man he credits with influencing his philosophy.
Speaking in 2019, he said: “I learned a lot from Guardiola.
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“His philosophy is sensational, what he did in Barcelona, Bayern and now with Manchester City, that attacking and attractive style sees him win a lot.
“It’s this structure that I’ve tried to implement with Ajax.”
A two-year spell with Utrecht from 2015 saw them go from 11th before his arrival to a fifth place and fourth place finish in the Dutch top flight.
And this transformative reign saw Ajax take the chance on him.
They were richly rewarded too, with a stunning Champions League run in 2018/19 with homegrown talents, including Matthijs de Ligt, Donny van de Beek and Frenkie de Jong.
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That ended in a semi-final loss to Tottenham Hotspur, despite out-playing them over both legs, and saw several stars, like De Ligt and De Jong, move on.
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Ten Hag, though, continued his success with a title in 2020/21 after the previous season was ended early due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ajax are in pole position for the title in the current campaign with PSV Eindhoven four points behind with five games to play and it's clear Ten Hag is intent on another trophy lift to end his time in Amsterdam.
London is calling on Saturday.
First up in the capital city is Arsenal vs Manchester United live on talkSPORT, with the visitors possibly boosted by the announcement of Erik ten Hag being named the permanent manager.
Then it's off to Wembley for Tyson Fury vs Dillian Whyte from 7pm where the two heavyweights are fighting for the WBC title.
12:30: Arsenal vs Man United - talkSPORT
7pm: Live from Wembley ahead of Tyson Fury vs Dillian Whyte
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