Erik ten Hag told managerial career at Manchester United ‘already’ over

As Premier League heavyweights Manchester United gear up for the crucial derby against Manchester City, Dutch legend Wim Kieft has delivered a scathing assessment, declaring Erik ten Hag is ‘finished’ at the helm at Old Trafford.

Kieft, who helped Holland win the Euros 1988, predicts that his compatriot’s exit from United is imminent as new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS team aim to revamp the club structure and squad to resurge The Red Devils among the elites of the Premier League.

The former Dutch striker, Kieft’s critique of Ten Hag’s tenure at Manchester United highlights the perceived failure to implement a distinct playing style and the broader issues within the club, despite spending over £300 million in transfers.

Comparing the contrasting scenarios of both Manchester clubs, Kieft said:

"At Manchester United, the football is still not to be seen - and therefore I expect Ten Hag to be in his last year."

"The climate Ten Hag has to work in at United is completely different from City. At the neighbors, you see a certain atmosphere, there is a true football culture and everything looks like a team, even at the top of their organisation."

"Txiki Begiristain is the technical director there and, as well as Pep Guardiola, he works with more former Barcelona people. United haven't had a ‘team’ like that for a long time. Something must be very wrong at that club."

"After all, [Jose] Mourinho and [Louis] Van Gaal were not managers with a small reputation - and they still failed."

He, further, asserted that Ten Hag was fortunate to have quality youth players in the squad in the Netherlands and his success at Ajax was due to Total Football – a concept that has been incorporated within the Eredivisie side for years.

"It is not that Erik invented the style of play at Ajax. Ajax had been playing that way for 50 years and he was lucky to have a great crop of youth players,"

- Kieft added

Speaking on the highly-anticipated clash against arch-rivals City, the 61-year-old said:

"For Ten Hag it will be a monstrous job to contain Manchester City in the derby on Sunday. He and Guardiola have spent roughly the same on new players in the past two seasons. Both totalled more than €400million (£340m) - and Ten Hag still failed to get his style of play in at United."

"What I love about Guardiola is that you see his football vision translated very quickly on the pitch at every club he has served. Whether it's Barcelona, Bayern Munich or Manchester City, he gets the football he stands for in there very quickly."

"Of course at all his clubs, Guardiola has also been helped by a lot of money. It's nice when you can bring in exactly the players you want for your ideas. At the same time, he enforces that himself, because there are more clubs that can pay top salaries. Players really want to play for him."

In the present circumstances, he contends that the decision for a player between United and City is relatively straightforward when considering where to sign for a more promising future.

Kieft also pointed to the success of Mikel Arteta and drew similarities between Arsenal’s style to Guardiola’s philosophies.

"If, as a player, you can choose between a team that becomes structural champions, like Manchester City, or a club that has to fight to win a Champions League ticket, like Manchester United, it is not so difficult,"

- continued the former Dutch forward

"What is also crucial is that with managers with a slightly lesser reputation, clubs do not want to listen only to the manager. You see that with PSG, there is money in abundance but they have never been able to develop a style of play there and they never win anything European-wise."

"Guardiola's style of play is very impressive and it is wonderful to see that people who had the opportunity to work with him for a long time choose that same vision and style."

"[Mikel] Arteta was his assistant for a long time and look at Arsenal, surely a lot of Guardiola's football is in there."

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