As scrutiny continues to come Manchester United’s way after a dismal start to the season, Erik ten Hag is feeling the heat.
The Dutchman is running out of excuses and credit as the weeks pass, with results and performances at an all-time low since his arrival at Old Trafford. There is a sense that Ten Hag’s frustrations are boiling over, with a number of agitated press conferences shining the spotlight on a man under enormous pressure.
“We will never play the football we played at Ajax here,” confessed Ten Hag after Sunday’s torrid Manchester derby defeat, a statement that will not have gone down well with Man Utd supporters.
For a coach marked as the one to get United back to winning ways, his defeatist attitude will gain him no sympathy, especially given the vast funds the former Ajax boss has had at his disposal. The Red Devils are regressing, with Ten Hag cutting an increasingly clueless figure on the sidelines.
But how do this current iteration of Man Utd compare to Ten Hag’s Ajax sides? Let’s take a look.
While the Premier League and Eredivisie are somewhat incomparable given the relative quality of the two divisions, Ten Hag’s success in Amsterdam was what got him the Man Utd job in the first place.
Of 143 Eredivisie matches, Ten Hag boasted a 78% win percentage with Ajax, losing just 16 matches during his reign. Despite having taken charge of just 48 Premier League matches with Man Utd, the 53-year-old has already lost 14, with a win percentage of just 58%.
While the gulf in quality between these two divisions explains Ten Hag’s lower win percentage in England, it remains a 20% drop off from his Ajax side.
In Europe, Ten Hag has taken charge of just 15 matches for the Red Devils, only three of which have come in the Champions League. Of those three, the Dutchman has lost two, while his Europa League record is understandably improved with eight wins from 12 games.
Ten Hag’s European win percentage for Man Utd is just 60%, while his Ajax win percentage in the Champions League and Europa League proper is 55%. Given 32 of Ten Hag’s European fixtures with Ajax came in the Champions League, this highlights how significantly Man Utd are underperforming on the continent.
Given the wealth of resources at Man Utd compared to Ajax, Ten Hag’s European record should be significantly stronger with the Red Devils. However, despite some easy fixtures during his time at Old Trafford, Ten Hag has massively underachieved in both the Europa League and Champions League so far.
During his tenure at Ajax, Ten Hag was well-known for his attacking philosophy. Again, the Eredivisie didn’t pose his side the greatest challenge, but even in Europe Ajax were capable of breaking down the best teams.
Ajax produced 63 goals in 32 Champions League games with Ten Hag, an average of just under two per match. They scored four against Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and Chelsea, puting three past Bayern Munich as well. They were capable of causing European giants defensive headaches despite a comparative lack of quality.
In all competitions, Ajax netted 593 goals in 215 games, averaging 2.7 per match. Man Utd could only dream of such numbers under Ten Hag.
Even when winning last season, United were far from the most free-flowing side. They often relied heavily on defensive shape and organisation, securing narrow wins in tight affairs – hence why David de Gea won the Premier League Golden Glove with 17 clean sheets.
Under Ten Hag’s tutelage, Man Utd have managed just 135 goals in 76 matches – 1.8 per game. Given the quality of attacking players at his disposal – Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford and Cristiano Ronaldo – during his time in charge, those numbers are worryingly low, with United lacking any kind of discernible attacking shape.
Alongside the allure of attacking football, Ten Hag also promised a possession-based philosophy that had been missing under recent Man Utd managers. However, despite having acquired a number of technicians, playmakers and a new goalkeeper to help him implement his style, the Red Devils still struggle to control the flow of games.
In the Premier League this season, United have managed just 53.3% possession on average. That’s lower than seven other teams in the division and just under 10% lower than Manchester City’s average (63.0%).
During Ajax’s run to the Champions League semi-final in 2018/19, they managed an average of 52.8% possession per match, despite frequently facing sides expected top dominate them. The Dutch outfit came up against Bayern, Real Madrid, Juventus and Tottenham on their way to the last four, showcasing their ability to control matches despite their inferior squad.
United’s lack of control has become a serious problem for Ten Hag, with his side managing just 40% possession against Man City in their recent 3-0 defeat, despite playing at home.
With players like Christian Eriksen, Casemiro and Fernandes, United should have the technical precision to dominate central areas, strangling opponents with their use of the ball. However, the Red Devils have been bypassed far too easily in midfield this season, not being able to execute Ten Hag’s passing philosophy despite some summer additions.
Despite significantly better performances last season, Man Utd were still often pragmatic in their approach. They were willing to play counter-attack football when required, often struggling to compete with the stronger teams in the division over 90 minutes.
Reliant on individual quality rather than tactical progression, Ten Hag has been unable to solve the ‘DNA’ problem at Old Trafford. Instead of developing into a more fine-tuned, possession-heavy side, United look more pragmatic and less philosophical than ever.
With Ten Hag having more or less thrown the towel in with his latest comments, focusing in the short-term on substance over style, it’s hard to see Man Utd resembling his swashbuckling Ajax side any time soon.
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