Jamie Carragher believes Erik ten Hag has a slightly easier task of taking Manchester United back to the top than Jurgen Klopp did when took over at Liverpool.
The Dutchman will become the Red Devils' new manager at the end of the season. Ralf Rangnick, who joined as Interim Manager back in November to replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, will remain at United as a consultant as ten Hag takes the reigns on a permanent deal.
Ten Hag has done an impressive job at Ajax and is set to guide his side to a third Eredivisie title in four seasons, with the Dutch side two points ahead of PSV with three games to go. This would add to the two KNVB Cup's he has won during his time in charge.
However, he will leave Ajax in the summer and it is safe to say he has a tough job on his hands to turn United's fortunes around. The Red Devils currently sit sixth in the Premier League and are very unlikely to qualify for the Champions League this season.
They are five points behind fourth-place Arsenal but have played two more games than Mikel Arteta's side. The Gunners and Tottenham Hotspur both have four matches to go.
This means United may have to settle for Europa League football, similar to what Klopp walked into when he replaced Brendan Rodgers at Liverpool in October 2015. The Reds sat 10th in the top-flight and had an ageing squad who were struggling for form and confidence.
Does Erik Ten Hag have an easier job to turn Manchester United around than Jurgen Klopp did at Liverpool? Let us know in the comments below!
In his first full season at the Reds, Klopp guided the club to a fourth-place finish, before helping them to the Champions League final the year after. Since then, Liverpool have won the competition, the Premier League and the League Cup, while competing for the quadruple this term.
When debating Ten Hag has a better foundation than Klopp did, Carragher told Sky Sports : "I think it’s very similar, really is. Possibly a harder job for Klopp because the funds will be a lot more than Klopp had when he came in. A top manager gets a top club back on track in a couple of years."
Gary Neville responded: "I don’t think so. Jurgen Klopp’s done the most outrageous job at Liverpool but there was no set winners when he came in. You’re coming now to Man United when these two and three managers [Pep, Klopp and Tuchel] are set in their jobs and their foundations are so deep. The job that ten Hag has is absolutely huge. It’s more of a Gerard Houlier and Rafa Benitez job because they were taking on great managers."
