Krishnan Sreekumar
Steve McClaren could be appointed assistant manager if Ajax boss Erik ten Hag is made Manchester United manager
According to The Guardian, former England boss Steve McClaren could be appointed as the assistant manager if Ajax Amsterdam head coach Erik ten Hag is announced as the new Manchester United manager.
ten Hag is the leading favourite at the moment to be offered the permanent manager position ahead of the new season, with the Ajax boss impressing everyone at Man United with the work he has done with the Dutch giants back home in Holland.
The Amsterdam side are currently on course to win a hat-trick of Eredivisie titles by the summer, all coming under ten Hag’s reign. They could also stand to win the KNVB Cup in a few weeks, with the club facing off against PSV Eindhoven in the summit clash that could see them complete the season with a domestic double.
With the Dutchman’s appointment at Old Trafford seemingly close, the club may also see a familiar face in McClaren, who could be appointed as his deputy. The Englishman previously worked as an assistant coach to Sir Alex Ferguson between 1999 and 2001, working hard behind the scenes of the incredibly successful treble-winning side.
Role reversal for McClaren and ten Hag
If the 60-year-old is made the assistant manager to ten Hag, then it would see a role reversal for the two coaches. McClaren previously had the Holland native as his assistant for the 2008/09 season when he was in charge of FC Twente.
However, nothing has been confirmed as of yet, even with respect to the Ajax manager being offered the vacant job at the Theatre of Dreams. The English club are still considering other candidates including Paris Saint-Germain’s Mauricio Pochettino, who has prior experience managing in the Premier League with Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton.
The decision to rope in McClaren to assist the 52-year-old if he is given the job in the summer is a smart move, given that the Dutchman has no experience managing a senior side outside of Holland. The Englishman, in that respect, is vastly experienced having managed teams in the Netherlands and England.
Aside from this, his prior connection with the Red Devils could also help the Ajax manager settle into Manchester more comfortably. Having a person experienced and familiar with new surroundings is always beneficial, and McClaren offers that advantage.
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It is quite a situation that both coaches could find themselves in, with the ex-England manager now having to work under ten Hag when the roles were reversed nearly a decade ago. Hopefully, this partnership proves to be beneficial to the Red Devils, who will be expecting a lot from their new coaching staff.
A five-year trophy drought is asking to be broken at Old Trafford, and with ten Hag and McClaren’s experience in winning titles, that issue could be well addressed. If all goes well, perhaps we may be getting the best of both worlds – a manager who has racked up multiple league titles in his career, and an assistant manager who has vast experience in the Premier League and at Old Trafford.
