Manchester United has officially confirmed the appointment of Erik ten Hag as the new manager on a three-year deal, beginning from the next season. The Dutchman will replace the interim manager Ralf Ragnick in the upcoming summer.
Ten Hag will become the fifth man in the last nine years to step into this role. Since Alex Ferguson’s departure in 2013, the club has tried its luck with David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, and Ole Gunner Solsjkaer, but none of them were able to bring back the glory days to the club.
🇳🇱➡️🏴
Determined for more at Old Trafford ✊🔴#MUFC || #WelcomeErik
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) April 21, 2022
“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,” stated ten Hag on his appointment.
Ten Hag inherited a faltering Ajax side more than four years ago, and turned them into a world-beater. Ajax won three Eredivisie, two Dutch Cups, and one Dutch Super Cup during his tenure. He also took Ajax to their first Champions League semi-finals in over two decades, in 2018/19. They knocked out behemoths like Real Madrid and Juventus before falling short against Tottenham Hotspurs.
Erik Ten Hag as an Ajax Manager.
210 games
156 wins
580 goals scored
5 trophies
Reached UCL Semifinal.If he can’t make Man United win a trophy i don’t know who will. pic.twitter.com/UX5p980BfT
— ' (@TheShowtimeReds) April 21, 2022
In the ongoing season of Eredivisie, Ajax are four points clear at the top, with five games remaining. Ten Hag stressed how his main focus is on winning the league, as it will earn Ajax an automatic qualification.
Give Erik ten Hag time. Give him backing with transfer funds. Give him a squad full of hungry players with potential. Give him Rangnick as a sounding board, Murtough as an enabler. Let him finish 7th or 8th in his first season without panicking. Give him time. #mufc
— Dominic Booth (@DomBooth19) April 21, 2022
“I’m happy that it has been finalised and that it has been officially announced,” Ten Hag said of his appointment. “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.”
🗣 "He's not afraid to make big decisions."
Marcel van der Kraan on what Manchester United can expect from Erik ten Hag's managerial style pic.twitter.com/77rZycT4Cl
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) April 21, 2022
‘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,” John Murtough, the club’s Football director said.
