Ten Hag urged to follow Solskjaer’s Man Utd approach and avoid Mourinho’s

Erik ten Hag will head to Manchester United this summer as he seeks to win over the Old Trafford dressing room and has been advised to put his arm around the players

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Erik ten Hag appointed next Manchester United manager

New Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has been urged to avoid the Jose Mourinho approach ahead of taking charge in his new role.

The Dutch manager was appointed on Thursday and he becomes the next man to try to rescue a desperately struggling United team. People have been quick to offer opinions on how Ten Hag should approach his style of management – which is key to creating a better culture at a club.

Club legend and treble-winner Andy Cole has weighed in with his thoughts on what needs to be done, suggesting the man at the top sets the tone. The club’s culture has been cited as a major issue and Cole feels Ten Hag has to follow the approach of predecessor Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, rather than a style of someone like Mourinho.

Cole stated: “If a manager is not going to set the entire culture at a club, then who will? Do Man United need a strong character as manager? There is a strong possibility that they might. But, they might also need a manager that comes in and shows some love to the players. Football has changed so much that you never really know what is going on or what kind of managers work.”

The announcement comes just days after United were thumped 4-0 by league contenders Liverpool. Following the news Ten Hag said: “I know the history of this great club and the passion of the fans, and I am absolutely determined to develop a team capable of delivering the success they deserve.

“It is a great honour to be appointed manager of Manchester United and I am hugely excited by the challenge ahead.” United sit in sixth spot in the Premier League but have struggled for consistency and face the threat of missing out of next season’s Champions League whilst their rivals, Manchester City and Liverpool, continue to set the standard.

Ten Hag will become the eighth man to take charge at United in the last nine years with previous managers not able to dig the club out of the post-Sir Alex Ferguson hole. Cole told bookmakers.co.uk: “By all accounts, Ten Hag has done a fantastic job at Ajax. He has done very well with them in the Champions League as well.”

Where will Man Utd finish next season? Let us know in the comments

Ten Hag is not the first of United’s previous managers who has had a big task ahead of him off the pitch as well as on it, but the Dutchman had success at Ajax where he’s been at the helm for four years. However, United will be a very different beast for Ten Hag who will have to start to rebuild.

John Murtough, Football Director, said: “During the past four years at Ajax, Erik has proved himself to be one of the most exciting and successful coaches in Europe, renowned for his team’s attractive, attacking football and commitment to youth.

“In our conversations with Erik leading up to this appointment, we were deeply impressed with his long-term vision for returning Manchester United to the level we want to be competing at, and his drive and determination to achieve that. We wish Erik the best of luck as he focuses on achieving a successful end to the season at Ajax and look forward to welcoming him to Manchester United this summer.”