‘He is world class’ – What Man Utd players have said about Erik ten Hag

Manchester United have confirmed that Erik ten Hag will be their manager next season – but how have the players reacted to the news?

United’s players reportedly voiced their concerns around Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s training methods and were also frustrated by Ralf Rangnick’s coaching methods.

According to reports, Ten Hag’s appointment had a mixed reception from the United squad and some players wanted former Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino.

We’ve taken a look at what some of their current players have said about Ten Hag.

David de Gea

– “I’m very excited the club has made the decision so finally we all know who is going to be the new manager,” the Spanish goalkeeper told MUTV in April.

“We know what he has done for Ajax, he has nearly been in a Champions League final, he’s won many leagues and he develops very good players, so I’m very excited to work under him.

“I think he plays very good football. Now we have to be focused on the last games but we are excited for this.”

He continued: “It’s good to know he is already watching the games and thinking about what he can do to change for us. I’m looking forward to working under him.”

Diogo Dalot

– “It’s going to be a fantastic opportunity to work with such a great manager,” Dalot told United’s official website. “His work at Ajax is outstanding.

“I think everybody falls in love with the attractive football he has played with that Ajax team. I’m sure we are going to be very happy to have him here and to start to work with him.

“Hopefully, like I said, we can finish the [next] season fighting for trophies and being there with hunger and competing with the other teams. But we are going step by step, we’re going to start well and hopefully, next season, can do better than this one.”

– “I don’t think you need to see a lot to know that he is a great manager – what he’s done with Ajax is something outstanding,” he told Sky Sports.

“He plays very attractive football, I think every fan of United is excited to have a manager like this, and we as the players are as well.

“In our heads, it’s going to be clear who the manager will be next season and that’s good because we go for our break in our heads knowing who to expect. Then we will have time in pre-season to work together, get our ideas right and start the new season.”

READ: Five Eredivisie players Erik ten Hag could sign for Manchester United

Raphael Varane

“I played against them [Ajax] in the Champions League [in 2019] and they played very well,” Varane said.

“I’m very excited to work with him. I’m looking forward to working with him. I think he has good experience and he’s a good person to work in this club.”

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5/3/19: Real Madrid 0-2 Ajax

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Fred

– “It’s great news,” he said in an interview with Premier League Productions. “He’s a world-class coach who will help us a lot here. I’ve watched Ajax and they are a great team who play good football. We know he helps us a lot and hopefully next year we can win trophies.”

He continued: “We need to get back to being the huge club that we are. We know the new manager will help us get back on the rails and the objective will be to be back winning again.

“We really need to put a lot of work in. The new manager’s job will not just take one day to the next. It will take time. We will have pre-season and it won’t be easy. A new style that we can adapt to.”

Anthony Elanga

“You can see the way Ajax are playing in Europe,” he told Sky Sports. “He’s a great manager with a fantastic record in Europe. I’ve seen how good he is with developing young players, so that’s one of the reasons I’m really excited to work with him.

“Obviously we’re focused on finishing the season strongly but we’re also feeling very, very positive about next year.”

When asked what Ten Hag can bring to United, Elanga added: “His experience in Europe, developing young players like myself and we’ve got other young players coming up. He’ll bring exciting football to Old Trafford.

“It all starts from pre-season and how we take in his instructions and tactics. He’ll be a great addition to the club and I’m really, really excited to work with him.”

Juan Mata

“I understand the fans’ frustration after this season because I would also be frustrated,” Mata told United’s official website earlier this month.

“But I also think there is an exciting future ahead with a new era, with a new manager. Hopefully, it is going to be a big change in terms of results and fans will be happy.”

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