The game between Liverpool and Manchester United at Old Trafford last month, as much as another addition to the age-old rivalry, was seen as the dawning of a new rivalry at the top of Dutch football.
It was the fifth head-to-head meeting between Liverpool head coach Arne Slot and Manchester United’s Erik ten Hag and their first outside of their homeland. Before this, they had been tied with two wins apiece: Slot’s AZ Alkmaar bested ten Hag’s Ajax 1-0 and 0-2 in 2019/20, before Ajax beat Slot’s Feyenoord team 0-2 and 3-2 in 2021-22.
The fifth occasion was a blowout, a 3-0 show by Slot’s men that put Ten Hag’s side into dire straits. Now, with rumours circulating of Ten Hag’s position being under immense pressure, the Dutch media has already started to speculate on his future.
Read more: Liverpool poised to POUNCE on Mo Salah successor after manager bust-up
Slot vs. Ten Hag
On the Hard Gras podcast, Dutch critic Hugo Borst has indicated that Liverpool’s Slot would be his ideal selection as manager of the Netherlands national team, but Erik ten Hag would also be the next best choice for the role.
Borst talked about how Ten Hag built his Ajax side, saying, “That’s why I really see potential in him becoming the national coach of the Dutch national team once he’s fired [from Manchester United]”.
In justifying his reasoning, Borst went on to say “Not that [current manager Ronald] Koeman is a bad coach, but it’s all ordinary. He’s not a visionary… [If] we are going to have a World Cup, then you need a Johan [Cruyff] or a Louis van Gaal. That is hidden in Arne Slot but he will not be [available]. But maybe Ten Hag is.”
Arne Slot’s tactical masterclass against
Ten Hag shows that you don’t need 6yrs to implement a style of play. He tactically outclassed Ten Hag and made it look so easy. When you’re good, you’re good. pic.twitter.com/GNJdEO08hl— Queku Mainoo (@elonjonah) September 3, 2024
The designating of Liverpool’s head coach as a ‘visionary’ along the lines of the legendary Johan Cruyff will be welcomed by the Reds, as will the tacit acknowledgement that Slot would be the preferred choice if he was available. Any victory over Manchester United will be rightly celebrated by Liverpool fans, and with the Redmen top of the table as ten Hag’s side falter in the bottom half of the table, there is much to smile about.
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