Erik ten Hag’s arrival at Manchester United has been met by fanfare and supporters are desperate for the former Ajax boss to succeed where his predecessors have failed – restoring the club from their unrecognisable ruins.
Legendary striker Patrick Kluivert has now backed him to do just that, if he’s given the right tools, but added that Manchester United are a completely different ‘ball game’ compared to Ajax.
🗣 "If he's got the right tools he can do a good job."
Patrick Kluivert gives his assessment of Erik ten Hag being appointed, installing belief in him pic.twitter.com/UOGhF0a3eZ
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) May 24, 2022
Read more: Three players Erik ten Hag will love at Man Utd – opinion
“He did a fantastic job in the years when he was trainer for Ajax,” Kluivert told Sky Sports, via Football Daily, as seen above. “Manchester United is a different ball game, of course.
“But if he’s got the right tools, he can do a good job. He’s very serious and he knows what he’s doing. I think the only thing is that he needs time but in top football, time is very curious.”
SN’s verdict…
Ten Hag is the fifth permanent manager at United since Sir Alex Ferguson retired and thus far, it could be argued that none of his predecessors have been given the right tools to succeed.
Kluivert’s suggestion that Ten Hag’s success is dependent on the board is a fair assessment and the United hierarchy, spearheaded by the Glazer family in Florida, cannot afford to let another big-name manager slip through the cracks.
Ten Hag’s reputation is also at risk, with managers at United falling harder than normal should they leave through the backdoor.
