MX23RW : Thursday, May 16 21:28:46| >> :120:13630:13630:

Erik ten Hag reveals he is also managing Manchester United Under-23s

Ten Hag reveals he is also managing Man United Under-23s
© Reuters
Manchester United head coach Erik ten Hag reveals that he is also managing Manchester United Under-23s.

Manchester United head coach Erik ten Hag has revealed that he is also managing Manchester United Under-23s, having had a similar role during his time at Ajax.

Mark Dempsey and Paul McShane are the lead coaches for Man United's reserves side, but Ten Hag has said that he makes the final decisions on a number of matters.

The Dutchman has said that overseeing the Under-23s provides a better pathway into the first team at Old Trafford.

"For me, cooperation between all the different departments is crucial to get the right culture in a club. Like at Ajax, when I entered Manchester United the reserve team was isolated," The Mirror quotes Ten Hag as saying.

"It was no longer really part of the academy, but it wasn't part of the first team either. I changed that immediately - just as I did when I entered Amsterdam.

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag on August 7, 2022© Reuters

"At Ajax, the reserve team came under the responsibility of the manager. That was the only way I could have influence on the flow of young, talented players towards the first team

"Of course I still give the coaches freedom to work, but I also give them direction, by saying for example 'I want that player to start making minutes in that position.'

"So the final responsibility lies with me about how the second team performs and the flow of players that goes from the reserve team to the first team.

"This is totally new for the people at Manchester United, but I had already discussed it during the introductory talks with the club management.

Manchester United head coach Erik ten Hag pictured on September 8, 2022© Reuters

"They were immediately open to it. They looked at Ajax with admiration because of how the club always manages to get youth players successfully through the system.

"There is a constant influx of talents at Ajax and I explained that's because the basis of everything at the club is the youth academy.

"When I was going home from my work at Ajax in the evening, I would often see the under-8s or under-9s training and I would stay to watch.

"In the final phase of a player's academy years and the step-up to the first team, it is all about the structure between the academy director, the reserve-team coach and the manager. This is what I mean when I talk about cooperation.

Manchester United's Alejandro Garnacho in action with Wolverhampton Wanderers' Nelson Semedo on December 31, 2022© Reuters

"I talked to (director of football) John Murtough about this at length before I came to Manchester and he set it up in such a way that I can work this way here too.

"In the Netherlands, I had made the step towards taking more of a managerial role at Ajax. If you don't have competent people around you, you can't delegate and you're going to do it all yourself anyway.

"But if you do have competent people, you have to bring them into your vision and then you can delegate tasks. An example is the training process with the senior team. I know this is in good hands with (coach) Mitchell van der Gaag.

"Because he is at the training sessions, I can often take an overview view. Then, as a manager, you see a lot more than if you are working on the training exercises yourself."

Man United moved into fourth position in the Premier League table courtesy of a 1-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday afternoon.

ID:503189:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect5731:

Click here for more stories about Erik ten Hag

Click here for more stories about Manchester United

Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
General view of Manchester United's Old Trafford taken August 2018
Read Next:
Man United appoint O'Boyle as deputy football director
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free daily transfer newsletter! Sent twice a day during the transfer window.
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Manchester CityMan City37277393336088
2Arsenal37275589286186
3Liverpool372310484414379
4Aston Villa37208976562068
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs371961271611063
6Chelsea371791175621360
7Newcastle UnitedNewcastle371761481602157
8Manchester UnitedMan Utd37176145558-357
9West Ham UnitedWest Ham371410135971-1252
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton371212135560-548
11Bournemouth37139155365-1248
12Crystal Palace371210155258-646
13Wolverhampton WanderersWolves37137175063-1346
14Fulham37128175159-844
15Everton37139153949-1040
16Brentford37109185461-739
17Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest3789204766-1929
18Luton TownLuton3768235081-3126
RBurnley3759234076-3624
RSheffield UnitedSheff Utd37372735101-6616


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!