Erik Ten Hag: The doomed Dutchman of Manchester United?

Ten Hag’s slow rise to coaching success seems to have come to an abrupt stop at Manchester United. Can the man who led other teams to glory turn the club around on his third attempt? Or is his tenure simply doomed?

In this episode, Mehreen and Simon chronicle the rise and fall of Erik ten Hag. They cover the hyper-organised, football-obsessed Dutchman’s rise from middling footballer to his slow and successful rise to Head Coach of Ajax. 

On the way they investigate the influence of Pep Guardiola on his coaching style and his entrepreneurial obsession with becoming a Ferguson-style football ‘CEO’.

Timestamps:

00.35 - Introduction 

05:50 - Childhood coaching-mindset to middling football player

11:47 - The dreamer assistant coach that thinks like a football CEO

13:54 - Assistant at Twente under Steve McClaren 

16:34 - Successful stint as Head Coach with the Go-Ahead Eagles 

20:37 - The influence of Pep Guardiola at Bayern Munich 

24:31 - Back to the Netherlands and rise in Utrecht 

27:45 - Move to Ajax - from mockery to success

32:33 - The iconic Spurs v Ajax Game, 2019

37:54 - Setting up at Man U and taking control of transfers

49:27 - Man U’s first season: Rocky beginnings or stable start?

56:54 - Staying resilient among increasing uncertainty

1:01 - The winning formula to being a good coach

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