Erik ten Hag’s major mistake at Manchester United was putting himself on an island surrounded by his own people, while his manner is press conferences was no help either.
That’s according to Guus Hiddink, via Voetbal Primeur, who has admitted he saw problems with Ten Hag’s approach to the Manchester United job.
Ten Hag was sacked earlier this month after a disastrous start to the season that had left Manchester United in the bottom half of the table.
A defeat to struggling West Ham proved to be the final straw for Manchester United’s leadership, who moved quickly to bring the Dutchman’s reign to an end and hire Sporting Club de Portugal’s Ruben Amorim as his replacement.
The decision to sack Ten Hag was not taken easily after a summer in which Manchester United had backed the boss with a new contract, the transfers he wanted to strengthen the squad and even his own additions to his backroom team.
That was a mistake as far as Hiddink is concerned, as it left Ten Hag stranded on an island, perhaps of delusion, that didn’t help him recognise the situation and instead led to an argumentative nature in press conferences.
“Everyone does it in their own way, but I was surprised at how many confidants Erik gathered around him,” he said.
“Then you end up on an island, which makes it more difficult to integrate into the culture of your new club and is watched with suspicion.
“I always took one assistant abroad with me, with whom I could map out things in the field of football. I therefore opted for local trainers and supervisors. People who knew the club or the country well.
“You play a role in how you are judged. Sometimes approach it with a wink. I mean, we are talking about football, not about war and peace.
“You should not respond to force that comes your way with force. Then it will explode somewhere.”
