Manchester United could be about to see a very different Erik ten Hag, just what is needed at Old Trafford

With Jurgen Klopp leaving Liverpool earlier this year, the Ten Hag are halfway to seeing their prediction come true.

The big question that remained was whether Ten Hag’s ownership would continue, with new owners Ineos carrying out a review.

Last week it was decided that Ineos would retain Ten Hag as manager, much to the Dutchman’s delight.

Erik ten Hag talks about the Ineos decision

Ten Hag recently worked on Dutch television covering Euro 2024 and shed some light on the club’s situation.

According to BBC Sport, he explained how Ineos flew out to meet him on his summer holiday in Ibiza to give him the good news he should stay.

He referred to the club’s discussions with other candidates, before declaring himself “the best manager” for the job, citing Ineos.

He said: “Manchester United told me they had spoken to Tuchel but in the end they concluded they already had the best manager.

“Ineos took its time. We are new to football, it is normal to reflect on the season. It’s no secret that they talked to several candidates.

Asked about a new deal, Ten Hag played down the chance, backing recent claims he feels “empowered”, replying: “Manchester United and I still have to find an agreement on the new contract. This is not easy – we will have to keep talking about it.”

A new Erik ten Hag appears

Much of the criticism leveled at Ten Hag stemmed not only from the results, but also from how dry he came across in his press conferences before and after matches.

Club legend Peter Schmeichel recently asked: “One of his problems is doing these post-match interviews, I’m not sure he can or knows exactly what to say. I don’t think he excels.”

Rare came across the personality he showed during the initial press conference – but now we can start to see the real Erik ten Hag.

He spoke confidently about his situation on Dutch television in a relaxed setting, even referring to Ineos as “new to football”, effectively citing their lack of experience.

FA Cup victory put the wind in Erik ten Hag’s sails. He spoke after the win to effectively warn Ineos, explaining that he is a manager who wins trophies and drops him at their peril.

He proclaimed: “Two trophies in two years is not bad, three finals in two years is not bad. If they don’t want me, then I’ll go somewhere else to win trophies because that’s what I do.”

Manchester United is a difficult place to manage, we’ve seen that over the years.

What the club needs is a manager who can command the team, have authority and speak with confidence to energize the fan base.

With Ten Hag’s confidence growing, Manchester United could be a much more entertaining place to be next season. Win a few games to start the season and we could really be going.

Let’s see if the new and improved Ten Hag can stick around.

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