Eric ten Hague brought trophies and entertainment to Amsterdam, with Ajax’s fast-paced team gaining a number of fans for their presence in the 2019 Champions League semi-finals. Such is the progress they have made, it is a surprise that the last eight will be made next week without their participation after the exclusion from Benfica. Erik ten Hag brought trophies and entertainment to Amsterdam with a bold Ajax team The Dutchman is now connected with the rescue of a ship that sank in Manchester United There have been five trophies in four years under Ten Hague, with Ajax scoring 570 goals in 207 games. In many parts of Europe, a coach who has achieved this level of success could expect his image to be proudly displayed on the pitch or on the street corners. Not here. Spend time walking in the imposing Johan Cruyff Arena and you will see countless photos of the most important Dutchman of all, with his hands up in this iconic red and white shirt. You will also see many of the current team, from top scorer Ryan Gravenberch to Mexico defender Edson Alvarez. But there is nothing from Ten Hag, not even in the club’s superstore. Maybe it will be different at the fan shop in Kalverstraat, in the heart of the city? But again, there is nothing, so we ask to find out if there is something bearing his name. “You are the first person we ever asked about,” the assistant replies. We want him to stay, but rumors say he is going to Manchester. There have been five trophies in four years under Ten Haag, with Ajax scoring 570 goals in 207 games. It’s more than just rumors. Ten Hague is the man Ralph Rangnick has recommended that he should be tasked with re-introducing the Manchester United ocean liner in 2022. The more you ask about this unpretentious 52-year-old, the clearer his qualities become. Ten Haag was an honest central defender who, between three seasons with Twente Ensente, played for De Graafschap, RKC Waalwijk and Utrecht, but never represented the Netherlands. He started his coaching career in 2012 when he was given the opportunity to join the Go Ahead Eagles by Marc Overmars. Although he only spent one season there, it was a huge success. They won promotion to the Dutch top division for the first time in 17 years. His impressive work caught the eye of Bayern Munich, who appointed him coach of their second team the same summer that Pep Guardiola arrived. He was immediately impressed with Bavaria. Talk to those who have worked closely with him and one word that keeps appearing is “perfectionist.” Ten Haag is described as polite and cordial, but in terms of football, he will not compromise. Ralph Rangnick nominated Ten Hague as the man who will restore the ocean liner that is Manchester United in 2022 Such is his determination to maintain high standards, Ten Hag asked everyone on his team to wear the same clothes on a race day, down to their shoes and socks. His determination to improve was consummate, with no time limits in training. “I was a central defender under Eric,” Matthias Strohmaier, a former Bayern Munich second team player, told Sportsmail. “He is a very meticulous coach and pays attention to every detail, all the time. But he taught me things about football that I had never heard before. “I definitely have good memories. You stand with him every now and then for three hours on the training ground and work regularly. As a player, you like to question that. But then there are times in the game when you notice that the things you worked on came out. “It was unique. I improved so much as a player because I learned so much about football under him. No other coach before or after made me think of football this way. I still exchange ideas with him from time to time and this also shows a strong personality. He made an immediate impression when he went to Pep Guardiola (left) in Bayern Munich “Success has not gone to his head. “I do not know how much he worked with Pep Guardiola, but they certainly have a strong love for football and they would have talked a lot about it because they see things the same way.” After two years in Munich, Ten Hague was recruited from Utrecht. Jordy Zuidam, the sporting director, led the successful pursuit, considering him to be the man who will fulfill the ambitions of owner François van Schümeren, whose motto is engraved outside their stadium: “No guts, no glory.” Utrecht was deeply excited about Ten Hag’s management, the ability to persuade improvement from players who could be difficult in terms of behavior. He took Utrecht back to Europe in two seasons and there was recognition at the club that someone bigger would come for him. This proved to be the case in December 2017, even though the move angered Van Seumeren, a businessman worth more than 350 350 million. He whistled after Ten Hague’s departure that “there is no faith in football”, but the club’s biggest job in the Netherlands is impossible to reject. Former striker Marc Overmars (right), once again, was a key player in the recruitment of Ten Hag for Ajax Overmars, once again, was the key to hiring Ten Hag for Ajax, and some have questioned whether he has benefited from being able to focus solely on coaching and football rather than being involved in the recruitment process. The big workouts that have become a staple in Munich have also been introduced at the De Toekomst training complex in Amsterdam, a short walk from the stadium. Ten Hag is up early most days and walks around to concentrate. A friendly guard explains that Ten Hague may get so lost in his thoughts on football that he will inadvertently pass it on to club staff he knows before bringing it back twice to apologize for ignoring them. It is a feature that anyone who has worked with Guardiola would recognize. Despite his low profile in Amsterdam, the majority of fans do not want to go to Manchester, but recognize the lure. If he ends up being Old Trafford’s last chosen one, the life he had in the shadows will change immediately – and dramatically. He will no longer be invisible. Now the man the United owners, the Glazers, can turn to to revive their team
