AN unearthed clip from 2019 has shown Erik ten Hag appearing to get irritated while defending his tactics.
The Dutchman has come under criticism this season as Manchester United’s midfield has often been exposed by opposition teams.
Ten Hag, 54, appeared on Ziggo Sport to analyse his Ajax side’s famous win over Real Madrid in the Champions League.
In the clips, Premier League icon Ruud Gullit questions the manager’s tactics to have an open midfield against the LaLiga titans.
Ten Hag seemed to get irritated by the question as Ajax won the fixture.
Gullit claimed the system allows for too many risks and can concede “ridiculous counterattacks.”
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He insisted that there needs to be a player in the midfield thinking “what if” the ball is lost and suggests a Fernandinho type of player.
Fernandinho starred for Manchester City and was considered one of the world’s best defensive midfielders during his prime.
While Ten Hag conceded that without a man in midfield a team can get “killed”, he went on to defend his philosophy.
He said: “How we want to play is the most difficult. When it is not going well you are extra vulnerable.
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“But when it is going well, you are able to impose yourself on the opponents and entertain the fans.”
Gullit replied saying that Barcelona were able to play the same with great success but because they had Sergio Busquets.
Ten Hag hit back, by saying: “The criticism is always directed at the teams who make the play.
“Whether it is Barcelona, who are vulnerable in transition, Manchester City, Bayern Munich…
“That is the most difficult thing in football to have a plan to play with the football.
“There are only a few teams that can do this. For example Pep’s [Guardiola] team. They are able to do it.
“At the end of the day, it’s those teams that fans come to the stadium for.”
Manchester United fans have reacted to the clip with mixed emotions.
One posted: “He is completely conscious and willingly taking that risk. Means we have to wait for the personnel to see it fully formed.”
A second commented: “Ten Hag got away with this in the Champions League because of how good the attack was.
“He won’t get away with this in the Premier League due to the physicality. If your style of play relies on elite technicians, then it’s a s*** style of play.”
A third wrote: “If you’re gonna do this in the Prem then he needs to listen to Gullit. You need a physical monster like [Amadou] Onana.”
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A fourth said: “This is very alarming.”
Another added: “United fans don’t want to be patient. We’ll regret it if we sack this man.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
