Ryan Babel playing for Ajax
Ryan Babel has spoken about his former Ajax boss Erik ten Hag's future
Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag will be desperate to prove himself again after his first Premier League stint ended in failure.
That's according to former Netherlands international Ryan Babel, who himself got a second crack at the Premier League with Fulham nearly a decade after leaving Liverpool. Babel briefly played under Ten Hag at Ajax during a 2020 loan, and is in no doubts about his compatriot's character.
Ten Hag won the Carabao Cup in his first United season and the FA Cup in his second, but was sacked amid dismal league results. The Red Devils finished eighth last term despite spending big on new signings and dismissed their boss nine games into the new campaign with the team down in 14th.
More than a month on from his departure, the former Ajax boss has yet to decide on his next move. Babel stressed Ten Hag's qualities, having witnessed them first-hand, but also appreciated the different challenges between the Eredivisie and the Premier League.
Man Utd star told he's got lucky with appointment of Ruben Amorim
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"I do know that he is a great coach, he has a great vision, he has a great eye for football but, again, the Premier League is a different ball game to the Dutch way of playing," Babel told Instant Casino. "It is not always suitable in the Premier League to play with those principles.
"In the Premier League, you need to be able to adapt. You need to have a plan B for strategy. I'm not sure if he had that. I think he was too wedded to his plan and tried to make it work even when it was turning against him. That's what I believe happened. It's sad of course to see a fellow Dutchman go down like that, but I'm sure he will bounce back."
When asked about a return to the English top-flight for Ten Hag, Babel added: "He seems like a type who wants to bounce back. Whether he gets that chance, I don't know. But he definitely wants to prove himself."
Will Erik ten Hag's next job be in the Premier League? Have your say in the comments section
Ten Hag was sacked by United after a defeat at West Ham
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Image:
Getty Images)
After sacking Ten Hag, United enjoyed a four-game unbeaten run in all competitions under interim boss Ruud van Nistelrooy. His permanent successor Ruben Amorim won two of his first three games, drawing the other, but suffered his first defeat at Arsenal on Wednesday.
The Portuguese admitted he will need to rotate his squad during a busy period, with a total of nine matches to play in December. “In this moment, it is impossible to play with the same team," he said after the Arsenal defeat.
"They [the players] have to feel they are part of the team, but we are changing the methodology, we are changing a lot of things. We are changing the way we play, the way we press, so we have to have all the players fit. We cannot have injuries in this moment because it will be tough to cope with all the games so we will manage the way we feel is the better way for the team.”
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