Erik ten Hag, in the opinion of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, erred when he attempted to manage Manchester United players using the same techniques he promoted at Ajax.
The 53-year-old Ten Hag received numerous accolades during his first season at Old Trafford, but he is under pressure this year. The club’s worst league start in 34 years has been supervised by the Dutchman, who was jeered off the field by supporters during the club’s Saturday loss to Crystal Palace.
Ten Hag’s remarkable work at Ajax, where he won three Dutch crowns in four years, led the United administration to name him as the man to restore the club. While discussing the present struggles of his previous club, Ajax, Ibrahimovic was keen to emphasize that the expectations at United are much higher than those at Ajax.
Ibrahimovic discussed the necessity for a fresh strategy at Manchester United in an interview with TalkTV, citing the caliber of the team’s players as the reason. However, he believes that Ten Hag has handled the prominent players he is currently managing in a similar way to his former Ajax squad.
He stated, “I have been in both clubs; coming from Ajax to United as he did is a tremendous difference. You practice a distinct discipline. Ajax is a gifted team. They possess the club’s top talent. They have few notable stars.
“How much experience does this coach have? Young talents join United, and there is a distinct mentality there. There are believed to be major stars among the players. I don’t believe you treat everyone equally.
Ten Hag is coming under increasing pressure as a result of United’s disastrous season debut. For the first time in the Premier League era, the team has lost four of its first seven league games after their setback against Crystal Palace on Saturday.
Before acknowledging that his team needed to improve in the upcoming weeks, Ten Hag defended his players while they were at the weekend. Prior to Tuesday night’s Champions League match against Galatasaray, he responded to criticism that the team has not advanced during his tenure.
I don’t think I agree with that [lack of advancement,” he remarked. The team is progressing, but we also need to make modifications. We had to alter when we didn’t have a left-back fit, and we did. Results matter in the end, and we didn’t get the one we were hoping for, which is really frustrating.
United needs a win on Tuesday night after falling to Bayern Munich 4-3 in their first group matchup last month. In Group A, there is one more team, FC Copenhagen.