Change in Manchester: How Will Ten Haag Transform the Red Devils
Change. What United fans have longed for for ages. Instead, they’ve suffered through nine years of disappointment and disharmony since Sir Alex Ferguson left them in 2013. Now on their 7th manager since then, they’ll be hoping that ten Hag is the man that delivers the success that they have been so desperately thirsting for.
Many who have come before ten Hag have lacked certain elements of a great manager; however, ten Hag looks to have the confident personality, strong tactical direction and glistening past record to justify his appointment. Coming from Ajax, he has most certainly proved himself. In the four and a half seasons that he spent with the Dutch giants, he achieved incredible feats not only domestically but also in European competition.
Ten Hag’s time at Ajax will be most remembered by their stunning 2018/19 Champions League campaign in which they reached the semi-final. While this was undoubtedly the peak of ten Hag’s reign, he managed to maintain a consistent level of high-quality performances. Ajax won the league on three occasions in the four and half years he was there, while they exited their Champions League group just twice in the four times that they participated in the competition.
Last season, Erik ten Hag managed Ajax to a campaign that can only be seen as a success. They won the Eredivisie, although marginally. They also proceeded out of a difficult Champions League group including Germany’s runner’s up from last season Borrusia Dortmund.
In the Eredivisie, ten Hag employed a possession-dominant system, focused on keeping the ball and counter-pressing (pressing the opponents in the period in which possession has just been lost) in order to maintain pressure in their opponents’ half. Last season, Ajax comfortably kept the most possession in the league. Their average of 62% bested the second best side in this metric by 6%. Additionally, they were efficient with the ball. Ajax managed an average of 20.1 shots per game last season, the most of any Eredivsie side.
What makes this more interesting is the fact that Ajax had the second least percentage of shots from outside the box, and a relatively limited amount of shots from range in general. This shows Erik ten Hag’s propensity to work the ball into the box. Ajax were far from direct in their passing play as they completed the least long passes per game. This is rather startling given that they completed both the most short passes and the most passes in general in the most recent Eredivisie campaign.
All of this works to highlight ten Hag’s strict and extreme tactical regime. Particularly when playing weaker opposition, ten Hag’s Ajax team looked to suffocate their opponents - almost in similar fashion to Pep Guardiola and his recent Manchester City teams.
Ajax’s counter-press when playing in the Eredivsie last season is one of the main tactical elements that defined their side. Their in-game formation helped them to achieve this.
When looking at this average position chart - taken from an away win against mid-table side SC Cambuur - there are a couple of interesting observations to be made. The first is the narrow and reserved nature of the full-backs (numbers 12, and 31). In modern football, it has become a trend to push the full-backs or wing-backs of a team high up the pitch to provide width when attacking. However, ten Hag has retained a conservative approach in regards to his full-backs.
This employment of these players is the primary tactical factor that allowed Ajax to be so successful in the counter-press. By largely taking up deeper, central positions, their full-backs were well positioned to stop any potential counter-attacking opportunities from other teams.
The above images highlight how this might play out. They illustrate the situation leading to Ajax’s winning goal in a crucial 3-2 victory against Feynoord. The first image shows Feynoord winning the ball back in their own half. The second shows the quick and effective closing down from Ajax, resulting in the regaining of possession just seconds after losing the ball in the first place. Less than 10 seconds after that, Ajax had the ball in the back of the net.
In both of the images above, the positioning of the full-backs is pertinent. Right-back Noussair Mazraoui comes across from the right-hand side in order to make a tackle on the Feynoord midifelder, while left-back Nicolas Tagliafico is positioned deep and centrally, ready to pick up any pieces. This is something that has been seen consistently in Ajax’s play over the last season. This allowed Ajax to win the ball frequently after losing possession, while also giving their midfielders more attacking freedom.
This also had an impact on the way that the Ajax wingers operated. With the full-backs taking on a more narrow role, the wingers were required to provide the width in the side. This can be seen from the position charts from both the Cambuur victory shown earlier and the win against Feynoord.
Again, the full-backs are relatively reserved in their positioning, particularly in the case of left-back Daley Blind (#17). This results in left-winger Dusan Tadic taking an extremely attacking position, well in advance of striker Sebastian Haller (#22). While in this case right-winger Antony maintains a relatively reserved position, he usually stays on a similar level as Dusan Tadic on the other wing. This can be seen from the position chart in the game against Cambuur displayed earlier as well as on many other occasions throughout the season.
The central configuration of this Ajax team is also fascinating. With the wingers playing so high, Haller drops off almost as a second attacking midfielder. The midfield, typically made up of Alvarez (#4), Gravenberch (#8) and Berghuis (#23) are staggered. This means that one operates as a defensive midfielder, one has a box-to-box midfielder and one as more of an out and out attacker, who plays almost level or in this case in advance of the central striker.
This can be clearly seen in this average position chart, taken from a 2-1 loss in the Eredivisie to AZ Alkmaar. Here, the staggered nature of the midfield is apparent. Ten Hag employs one midfielder as almost a third center-back. In this Ajax team it was Julian Alvarez in this position. Gravenberch has more creative liscense and freedom to get forward, especially with the full-backs covering defensively. While the formation might often be listed as a 4-2-3-1, it rarely plays out this way.
Interestingly, Ajax took on a slightly more structured approach when playing in the Champions League. In their astounding 4-0 win against Borrusia Dortmund in the group-stage, Ajax were less fluid.
This is the position chart from that game. The most interesting thing to notice is the positioning of the full-backs. Here, in contrast to the position charts shown earlier, the full-backs play well in advance of the central defenders, almost encroaching on the space of the wingers.
This may have to do with the counter-press. In a more difficult game, against higher quality opposition, Ajax found themselves in and around Dortmund’s penalty area less frequently. This means that they were not as often in a position to counter-press high into their opponents third; therefore, the full-backs were less needed in central positions. This was illustrated by the possession statistics from this match. While Ajax typically average 62% possession in the Eredivisie, they had just 55.4% of the ball on this occasion.
Central striker Haller’s positioning is also of note. In the Eredivisie matches that we examined, Haller dropped far deeper, often playing lower than Ajax’s wingers. In this match, he played like more of a classic number nine, at least positionally.
In reality, he still operated as much more of a playmaking forward. Haller completed 94% of his 36 attempted passes, a shockingly impressive amount. He also managed to lay on 2 assists for his teammates. In a game against higher-quality opposition, Haller acted as more of a target-man, playing higher up the pitch in order to give Ajax a bigger player to aim at, and hold up the ball. However, Haller was still calculated and precise in possession, just as he typically was when dropping deeper in Ajax’s Eredivisie games.
Ultimately, this game against Dortmund illustrated how Ajax and ten Hag were capable of tweaking their tactic in order to fit their opponents. It also could hint at how ten Hag will operate in Manchester. In games against smaller opposition, ten Hag focused heavily on counter-pressing and maintaining possession high up the pitch. However, as the underdogs, ten Hag’s Ajax, played quicker and slightly more direct football, using Haller as a target in order to help them keep the ball.
Some of this has translated into United’s preseason campaign. The Red Devils have played six matches ahead of their Premier League opener against Brighton on August 7th.
For United fans, this preseason has to be considered a success. They won three of their six matches and only lost once, while this run included a superb 4-0 thrashing against Champions League runners-up Liverpool. However, the most fascinating United game this preseason was their 1-0 loss against Atletico Madrid. Not only was this one of United’s most difficult opponents, but we also saw ten Hag make just three substitutions in this match, and his seemingly favored starting 11 played almost a full 90 minutes.
Because of this, Man United fans got a glimpse of what might be coming for the first time. In this match against Atletico, Erik ten Hag employed what you would expect to be largely his first choice team. Below is the lineup that started in that match:
For the most part, this team has started Manchester United’s preseason games and looks to be what ten Hag prefers heading into the season. This side does have some glaring emissions. It excludes the prolific Cristiano Ronaldo, who only returned to United for their last game in preseason against Rayo Vallecano and who has been rumored to want to leave the club. New signings Lisandro Martinez and Christian Eriksen also missed out on a start in this game but made their full debuts against Rayo Vallecano.
In this match against Atletico Madrid, Manchester United lined up in a simple 4-2-3-1 formation. In many ways, their tactical setup in this match was far less intricate than the 4-2-3-1 employed by Ajax last season.
Here it can be seen that, particularly when looking at midfield, United differ slightly from ten Hag’s Ajax side. McTominay and Fred as a double pivot have been playing almost alongside each other in preseason. At Ajax, this was not the case. Earlier we saw how Julian Alvarez played a far deeper role, augmenting the Ajax defence. Neither one of Fred or McTominay has really fit into this position up to this point, nor have they fit into Gravenberch’s role as a more creative option playing near the attacking midfielder.
United have also looked much more direct in preseason than ten Hag’s Ajax team. This may be a result of the personnel at ten Hag’s disposal. United seem to have an abundance of pacy forward players including the likes of Rashford, Sancho, Martial and Elanga. At Ajax, players in the attack such as Haller and Tadic preferred the ball at their feet rather than it being played in front of them. In this preseason, United have frequently played longer balls down the channels for their wingers to run onto, while we have also seen quick transitions from midfield to attack.
However, this hasn’t seemed to affect ten Hag’s love for possession-based football. In this match against Atletico Madrid, United had a healthy 56% of the ball. The difference at the moment seems to be that United are less capable of keeping possession high up the pitch and for long periods of time, but this may change as the players settle into ten Hag’s style of play.
There have also been individual elements of ten Hag’s Ajax system that have been brought over to this United team. In the game against Atletico and throughout preseason, Manchester United newboy Tyrell Malacia has been playing conservatively at left-back. This is obviously one of the main observations that could be made about last season’s Ajax team, with Tagliafico and Blind largely playing a supportive role from the left side of defence.
The image above shows an attack that developed on the left-hand side and found its way to Martial. While left-winger Marcus Rashford started the attack from a wide left position, left-back Malacia holds back conservatively. This was seen repeatedly throughout this match with Rashford providing the attacking width and Malacia offering himself as support.
Malacia certainly fits the bill of a ten Hag full-back. He is energetic and enthusiastic but far from extravagant in terms of his passing. He is largely a defender. In the Eredivisie last season, he averaged 3.8 tackles and interceptions per 90 minutes, with a tackle success rate of 73%. For reference, Luke Shaw, the man who will provide Malacia’s competition in the United squad, averaged just 1.7 tackles and interceptions per 90 in the 2021/22 Premier League campaign, with a tackle success rate of 70%.
Malacia is a more reliable defensive option in this Manchester United side, who may help to aide the introduction of ten Hag’s counter-pressing philosophy in England. At 22, Malacia is a potentially underrated signing who will add defensive quality to the Manchester United backline.
Through the signing of Malacia as well as the other transfer business that ten Hag has conducted, it is clear that he is trying, to some extent, to replicate what he created at Ajax. Perhaps the two most notable signings he has made have come from the Eredivisie. The first is Malacia. The second is young Argentine center-back Lisandro Martinez who has been snatched by Eric ten Hag from his former club. By signing an Ajax player, ten Hag has shown his intent.
Lisandro Martinez is another young defender who will help ten Hag in his transition period. Martinez played under ten Hag at Ajax for three seasons, winning two Eredivisie titles in that time. Again, Martinez is a defender who embodies ten Hag’s vision and style of play. He is at his best with the ball at his feet. In the Eredivisie last season, Martinez averaged an incredible 80 successful passes per 90, as well as 6.1 accurate long balls.
Having played under ten Hag previously, this competency on the ball is to be expected, and he should suit the United manager’s possession-driven style of play. Whether he slots straight into the United team will have to be seen but there’s a high chance that ten Hag shows him favoritism as he’s well aware of his strengths and weaknesses as a center-back.
Manchester United’s final signing of note is that of Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen. Although not recently by any means, Eriksen is another player who has played for Ajax within his career, having come through the Ajax academy. Whether or not ten Hag has considered this when targeting Eriksen is hard to know. Either way, Eriksen will provide useful depth in midfield and will give United an incredible technical boost.
The signings that United have made since ten Hag’s arrival certainly show some level of joined-up thinking throughout the club. While they will help in transition to ten Hag’s favored style of play, the Dutchman might have to adapt to the other players in his squad.
The defence looks fairly set now particularly after the additions that have been made. United captain and center-back Harry Maguire is certainly capable when in possession and should be able to play the role of a ball-playing central defender. We looked earlier at how the midfield might be more of a problem area. Neither Fred nor McTominay are specialists. While they are both solid, Premier League level midfielders, they are best at doing a bit of everything. This makes it difficult for one of them to drop deeper and for one of them to play more offensively as was the case at Ajax.
The frontline is also slightly problematic, particularly in the case of the central striker. Sebastian Haller was critical to Ajax’s success last season both domestically and in Europe. United don’t have a striker like him. In all fairness, most clubs don’t. In the Champions League last season he scored 11 goals in just 7 games but it’s not only his goal-scoring that is impressive.
He also averaged an incredible 16.9 pressures. For reference, Cristiano Ronaldo averaged just 6.32 pressures per 90 in the Champions League last season, illustrating the challenge that ten Hag will have on his hands. While Ronaldo is undoubtedly his best technical striker, scoring 18 Premier League goals last season, he will struggle with the physical demands of ten Hag’s system.
Ronaldo certainly doesn’t fit the profile of the type of striker that ten Hag prefers, as he tends to try to get in behind the defence, rather than holding the ball up and bringing others into play. In this regard, Martial isn’t much better.
French striker Anthony Martial has looked good in preseason and could start the upcoming campaign up front. He provides slightly more youthful energy than Ronaldo, although his pressing numbers are still incomparable to Haller. Again, Martial is a striker who prefers the ball played in front of him, and not to his feet. Like mentioned earlier, this may contribute to the transition to a more direct and accelerated version of ten Hag’s Ajax system, with more runs in behind from the forward players. It will be up to ten Hag to make this work
What ten Hag has achieved at Ajax certainly warrants respect from the English fans and media as well as the Manchester United players. Whether he can turn that respect into results on the pitch will wait to be seen. He is a stern but progressive manager, who will set his sights on the top of the Premier League table.
However, the players at his disposal limit him slightly, and it might take a couple of seasons for his vision to fully take place. In many ways, we are already seeing the “ten Hag-ification” of this Manchester United team and this will only continue as he spends more time with the Red Devils.
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