Manchester United were in deep turmoil when Erik ten Hag took the reins.
The club had finished a disastrous sixth in the league and the Dutchman had to take charge of a squad on the brink of mutiny and a team full of holes, having gone through three different managers over the course of a season.
But the Dutch manager has revolutionized the club both in terms of playing style and personnel and is such a workaholic that he will now also take over the duties of reserve team coach.
This news courtesy of The Athletic and The Daily Mirror with the former Ajax manager being of the opinion that United’s reserve team, his Under-21 team, was “isolated” before he joined last summer.
The new role of Ten Hag
Ten Hag had explained the reason behind his decision when he spoke to United’s director of football John Murtough during talks over United’s vacant managerial role.
“For me, the cooperation between all the different departments is crucial to achieve the right culture in a club. Like at Ajax, when I joined Manchester United the subsidiary was isolated.
“I wasn’t really part of the academy anymore, but I wasn’t part of the first team either. I changed that immediately, just as I did when I entered Amsterdam.”
United prides itself on its youth policy with the club’s proud record of having one local talent named in every United team since October 1937 still going strong.
Ten Hag’s great track record in recruiting young players at Ajax had helped him land United’s first-place job.
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It’s good to see the structure being rectified. Thoughts ????????#MUFC #ManUtd #Manunited #PremierLeague #Football pic.twitter.com/s1WWuEgOIG
— RealRedsTalk (RRT) (@RealRedsTalk1) January 1, 2023
And Ten Hag wants this record to continue and wants to take a closer look at the talent that is emerging and ensure a steady stream of talent through to the first team.
The process includes giving minutes to certain players while testing others in certain positions and at the same time having a similar style of play so that the jump to the first team is not so drastic.
Reserves to benefit
“At Ajax, the reserve team came under the responsibility of the coach. That was the only way he could influence the flow of talented young players to the first team.
“Of course I continue to give the coaches freedom to work, but I also give them instructions, saying for example ‘I want that player to start getting minutes in that position.
“Then the ultimate responsibility rests with me on how the second team performs and the flow of players from the reserve team to the first team.”
The Under-21s have quite a few talented players, close to breaking into the first team, with Zidane Iqbal, Kobbie Mainoo and Rhys Bennett already training several times with the first team.
United Under-21s have only won once in 12 league games this season and are 11th of 14 teams in Premier League 2 Division 1. Ten Hag is also hoping to change that as he has with the first team.
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