Dutch manager Erik ten Hag is currently one of the brightest and hottest young coaches in world football right now. The 52-year-old gaffer is seen as the next superstar in the world of football management, likely to follow in the footsteps of great coaches like Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelloti, and Zinedine Zidane.
This article will provide you with some information about Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag.
Erik Ten Hag’s Coaching Style
His coaching style is built on fluid, attacking football which relies on highly technical wingers. The Dutch coach prefers a 4-3-3 formation, with a defensive midfield behind the back four. He is a firm admirer of Guardiola’s coaching tactics.
Ten Hag said in February 2019: “I learned a lot from Guardiola; his philosophy is sensational, what he did in Barcelona, Bayern and now with Manchester City, that attacking and attractive style sees him win a lot.”
He always wants his team to keep possession and hurt the opponent. Ten Hag based his team style on possession, movement, vertical attacking patterns, pressing, and wingers moving into the middle to allow room for the full-backs. In his system, everyone is attacking, and everyone is defending.
Erik Ten Hag’s Playing Career
Erik started out as a football player in his native Holland, playing for various local sides, FC Twente, De Graafschap, Utrecht, and RKC Waalwijk. Ten Hag was a center-back and played over 300 league matches in a career that lasted between 1989-2002.
After his retirement from professional football, he would wait almost a decade before nabbing his first coaching gig.
Erik Ten Hag: Teams Coached
Below are some of the teams that Erik Ten Hag has coached in his career.
Go Ahead Eagles
Erik Ten Hag first managed dutch club side Go Ahead Eagles in 2012. While there, he achieved his first success in soccer management, helping Go Ahead gain promotion to the Dutch Eredivisie.
Bayern Munich II
After his single-season stint as manager of the Eagles, Erik crossed over to Germany to handle the reserve team of Munich giants Bayern from 2013 to 2015. He won the Regionalliga Bayern with the reserve side during his time there.
FC Utrecht
Ten Hag returned to the Netherlands to take up the sporting director and head coaching position at his former team Utrecht in mid-2015.
His impact at the club was instant, leading them to 5th position in the 2015/2016 season. The following season he led Utrecht to an improved 4th position in the final table of the Dutch Eredivisie, which earned them a spot in the UEFA Europa League qualifiers.
Ajax
His impressive showing at Utrecht earned Erik his first big-time managerial role when he was appointed manager of Dutch giants Ajax Amsterdam in late 2017. Ten Hag’s stock as a great manager would continue to rise even further as he restored Ajax back to preeminence in Dutch and European club football.
He led the Amsterdam side to 3 Eredivise titles (2019, 2021, 2022) and 2 KNVB Cup wins (2019, 2021). In the UEFA Champions League, he also guided Ajax on an unlikely semi-final run in the 2018-2019 season, beating favorites Real Madrid and Juventus along the way.
A heartbreaking loss to Tottenham Hotspur in the semis ended their fairytale run, but this didn’t diminish the attention and respect for the great job Ten Hag did getting them that far.
While at Ajax, he broke the record by becoming the fastest manager in league history to reach 100 wins with Ajax,
This also earned Erik many offers from various top European clubs. The Dutch tactician was finally appointed manager of English top side Manchester United on April 21st, 2022, on a 3-year deal with an option of a further year.
Manchester United
Erik Ten Hag is currently the coach of Manchester United and will begin the 2022/23 season with hopes of restoring the Red Devils to glory.
Erik Ten Hag: Trophies Won
Here is the list of trophies won by Erik Ten Hag:
Bayern Munich II
- Regionalliga Bayern (2013/14).
Erik Ten Hag won the Regionalliga Bayern, in the fourth tier of the German football league, with the Bayern Munich reserve team.
Ajax
- Eredivisie: (2018/19), (2020/21) and (2021/22)
- KNVB Cup: (2018/19) and (2020/21)
- Johan Cruyff Shield: (2019).
Erik Ten Hag has won the Eredivisie three times at Ajax and the KNVB Cup twice. He also won the Johan Cruyff Shield in 2019 with Ajax.
