European giants keen on appointing Erik ten Hag if he gets sacked by Manchester United - Reports
Eredivisie giants Ajax are keen on reappointing manager Erik ten Hag if he gets sacked by his current club Manchester United, according to sources close to the Dutch side.
Ajax's new executive Alex Kroes is actively looking for a replacement for interim coach John van 't Schip, who was appointed after the sacking of Maurice Steijn midway through their 2023-24 season. At the time of his sacking, the Amsterdam-based side were rock bottom in the Eredivisie standings.
The managerial shortlist created by the club also has Pep Lijnders, who serves as assistant manager to outgoing Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp at Anfield, besides ten Hag.
Lijnders is considered to be the most sensible option as he is presumed to be leaving Anfield along with Klopp at the end of the season. However, a potential reunion between Ajax and Ten Hag is not completely out of the equation.
Ten Hag led Ajax to three consecutive Eredivisie titles and also on a fairytale run to the semifinals of the 2018-19 UEFA Champions League.
In his first season at Old Trafford, he led Manchester United to a top four finish in the Premier League and won the EFL Cup. However, the club is going through a rough patch in his second season in charge, sitting in sixth place in the table.
Reportedly, Manchester United's new owners Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS are already looking at alternative managers, but are content to let Ten Hag stay in charge and make a potential comeback towards the end of the season.
Kroes is said to be close friends with Ten Hag's agent Kees Vos, and a potential move to the Johan Cruijff Arena could be on the cards for the Dutch manager at the end of the season.
"I always tell him to play what he sees" - Manchester United superstar Marcus Rashford on rising star Kobbie Mainoo
Manchester United superstar Marcus Rashford has revealed his advice to rising star Kobbie Mainoo during his breakthrough season at Old Trafford.
Mainoo has been a shining light in United's otherwise dismal campaign, having become an integral part of Erik ten Hag's squad since breaking into it in December 2023.
At 19, he became the youngest player to win a Premier League Goal of the Month award, winning it for his strike against Wolverhampton Wanderers in February. Here is the goal:
He has now made 18 appearances for the club, scoring two goals and dominating the middle of the park. Fellow academy graduate Rashford seems to be very impressed with his style of play, and predicts a long and successful career for the young English defensive midfielder.
Speaking to Manchester United's in-house media, Rashford said:
“He’s getting fed lots of messages – try this, do that – so not taking away his natural ability, natural instinct is probably the biggest thing we can do for him as players."
Elaborating on Mainoo's incredible natural skill, the English forward added:
"I think he’s very sure in his abilities and he’s going to play what he sees fit, which is a huge skill set on its own, so I think it’s about encouraging him to do that."