United not a match for ten Hag: Van Gaal

LONDON • Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal on Monday warned Ajax Amsterdam boss Erik ten Hag against taking up the manager's role at Manchester United, urging his compatriot to choose a football club over a "commercial" one.

Van Gaal managed United between 2014 and 2016, leading them to FA Cup success in his final season before being sacked and replaced by Jose Mourinho.

Ten Hag, 52, is among a handful of names linked to the top job at United as interim manager Ralf Rangnick's tenure is set to end after the current season.

The others are Paris Saint-Germain's Mauricio Pochettino, Sevilla's Julen Lopetegui and Spain's Luis Enrique, with ten Hag and Pochettino the favourites.

"Erik ten Hag is a great coach and that is always good for Manchester United," van Gaal said.

"But Manchester United are a commercial club, so it's a difficult choice for a coach... he would be better going to a football club.

"I'm not going to advise him, he'll call me himself. But he must choose a football club and not a commercial club."

Ten Hag was appointed by Ajax during the 2017-18 campaign and led them to the Dutch Eredivisie title in 2019 and last year, as well as the Champions League semi-finals in 2019. The team are currently leading the league with seven more games to go.

The Dutchman and Argentinian Pochettino are contracted to their clubs till next year, but it is believed that the duo will both seek a fresh start this summer.

Van Gaal's comments could, in a way, put more pressure on United to hire ten Hag to prove that they are serious about being a football club. If they do not appoint him, it could be seen as they are admitting that they are a commercial club.

Various media reports have said that the United board was thoroughly impressed with ten Hag following a widely publicised interview last week.

According to football insider Fabrizio Romano, the Dutchman wants an answer as soon as possible as he has also been approached by two other major clubs - one German and one English.

United, however, are reported to be waiting to speak to Pochettino.

Romano has said that officials have spoken to his lawyers but not to him directly as there are complications with PSG, who are unlikely to allow their manager to have any contact with United while the Ligue 1 season is in progress.

It is a different case with Ajax, who have good relations with the Red Devils - their chief executive is Edwin van der Sar - and the former United goalkeeper has said he is "ready" for ten Hag's departure.

Manchester Evening News chief writer Samuel Luckhurst believes that "Ten Hag is the popular choice among the fans and the sports people (including Rangnick) in the club". But some board members, like former manager Alex Ferguson, prefer former Tottenham boss Pochettino mainly due to his "Premier League experience".

Ten Hag has the fans' backing, with an overwhelming 82 per cent of close to 220,000 votes in a Twitter poll by former defender Gary Neville in support of him instead of Pochettino.

REUTERS