Erik Ten Hag’s audition to become Manchester United ’s next manager flopped last night as his Ajax team were unexpectedly turfed out of the Champions League.
Ten Hag, who took Ajax to the semi-finals of the competition in 2019, is highly fancied inside Old Trafford to come in in the summer as United’s new permanent manager, after an impressive stint in charge in Amsterdam. But last night Ten Hag’s team, though they dominated their last 16 tie, missed a hatful of chances and unexpectedly went down to Darwin Nunez’ late strike.
Ajax had only themselves to blame, after twice throwing away the lead in the first leg in Lisbon - and there is no doubt Ten Hag’s team fluffed their chance, just as another candidate in Mauricio Pochettino’s Paris St Germain did, at the same stage last week. Ten Hag had hinted he is ready for a new challenge after becoming frustrated by the huge turnover of players he has to deal with because of Ajax’s policy of selling top talent at the right price - and the constant challenge of having to rebuild his team.
Ten Hag has strong support inside Old Trafford that he can be the man to revive the Reds - including interim boss Rangnick - but this result will have blotted his copybook. Rangnick will take up a two-year consultancy role at Old Trafford at the end of the season and will be an experienced sounding board for any new manager.
Of course, Ten Hag’s reputation has not been destroyed by just one result - since taking over at the Johan Cruyff Arena in 2017, he has won the Dutch league and cup double twice. But, against one of the weaker teams in the last 16, Ajax were heavy favourites to go through. The sight though of a hatful of chances going begging in Amsterdam on Tuesday night, and of Ten Hag’s side failing to break down a stubborn Portuguese defence, would have been worrying.
Ajax had hit 22 goals in the competition before last night, and 77 in the Eredivisie, but they badly ran out of steam on Tuesday, and the normally prolific Sebastien Haller barely had a chance all night. Ten Hag joked before the match that he had not been practising his English - in fairness he does not need to. But in the corridors of power at Old Trafford right now, especially after last night’s latest calamity, the pathway to the new messiah has not grown any clearer.
