With Erik ten Hag joining Manchester United in the summer, many fans have begun imagining what the team might look like under the Dutch manager. And of course, they are using his Ajax team as a template.
At Ajax, Ten Hag plays a 4-3-3 which allows him to dominate possession and get across his philosophy. He likes to keep the game wide and spread out the opposition's defence to create gaps for his side to attack and exploit.
And given that this Ajax side is most United fans' only example of Ten Hag's work, they wouldn't be blamed for thinking that he would continue this formation and style of play when he moves to Old Trafford. However, this might not be the case.
READ MORE: Cristiano Ronaldo has been told what role he must play in Manchester United revival
When he started at Ajax, Ten Hag instead chose to implement a 4-2-3-1 formation, moving away from the Dutch club's classic 4-3-3 which had been a staple at the club since the time of Johan Cruyff. And in an interview with Dutch Soccer Site in 2019, Ten Hag spoke about why he made a change.
Ten Hag said: "I wasn’t the first to do this. I do remember that Adriaanse got a lot of flak when he started fiddling with the house style, but the qualities of the players determine the system, not the other way around. And it’s not even about systems. It’s about what you do in possession when you lose possession and in those turnaround moments. And you need to be able to change that up.”
So it could be the case that when he joins United, Ten Hag makes a change to accommodate the players that he has. Many questions have been raised about how Cristiano Ronaldo would fit into the side.
Ronaldo has been United's best player this season; granted everyone else has been severely out of form but you would think that with one year left on his contract, the Portuguese striker would still be important next year as well. In the same interview, Ten Hag spoke about how he is willing to change his system to accommodate his side's best players.
He said: “Well like I said, the players’ qualities determine how you play. Take Frenkie de Jong. We have really been looking to find ways to use his skills in the best manner. Where can he play best, for the team and to showcase his talent. Everyone was screaming: Frenkie is the biggest talent, etc etc.
"Well yes. But, where? In midfield? Ok, but which role? His quality is that he makes the forwards perform better. He is a wanderer, an adventurer, he’s always on the move, like a shark. With the ball, often, but also without the ball. So if you put him on 6, he’s away too often."
The narrative from many United fans so far has been that Ten Hag is uncompromising in his belief but that doesn't seem to be the case. If a player is useful and will make the side better, he will look to find ways to accommodate them and get them into the side.
This doesn't just apply to Ronaldo but Jadon Sancho and Bruno Fernandes as well. Until the 52-year-old joins United and starts to make signings and shows his first lineups in a friendly game, no one knows how the team will set up under Ten Hag next season.
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