Ajax v Flamengo
Edwin van der Sar with Erik ten Hag during his time at Ajax (Photo by Laurens Lindhout/Soccrates/Getty Images)
Manchester United legend Edwin Van der Sar admits he was surprised by Erik ten Hag’s time at Old Trafford.
The Dutchman joined United from Ajax in April 2022, at a time when Van der Sar was CEO of the Dutch giants.
Ten Hag impressed during his first season in charge, finishing third in the Premier League and leading United to the Carabao Cup.
He won the FA Cup in his second season and was rewarded with a new deal, despite the club’s worst-ever Premier League finish.
But Ten Hag lasted just three months into the new season and was replaced by Ruben Amorim in November.
Ten Hag’s tenure collapsed after he failed to implement the style of play that made him such a popular choice for the United job during his time with Ajax.
United have restructured off the field in the last 12 months, which Van der Sar says should provide more consistency on-field.
Manchester United Training Session And Press Conference - UEFA Europa League 2024/25 League Phase MD3
Ten Hag was sacked in November (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
And he admits he was surprised Ten Hag wasn’t able to change United’s philosophy.
‘It’s of utmost importance that all things are connected. I experienced at Ajax also when one radar, one little thing is not working, it can have an effect down the line,’ Van der Sar told SkySports.
‘I think that happened also at United. I think the structure has been quite clear, with the Glazers as the ownership. I think the football structure and the CEO position has been changed also a few times.
‘I think what I feel, what I hear, what I read, I think they’ve all been signed in a certain way that they can back each other up. Unfortunately for Erik ten Hag, the results didn’t work. I think now, let’s say, the people who should appoint a manager have appointed their manager, so that would probably work better than the situation a couple of months ago.
A lot of things are required at Manchester United. I think what Erik achieved with Ajax, the success in Europe, the way that we played, that he could get the tactics right, I was expecting that also at Manchester United.’
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