Erik Ten Hag’s future is the big talking point in Manchester and Amsterdam. The Ajax boss does not want it to be this way.
Ten Hag was asked about his future prior to Ajax’s Thursday night KNVB Cup game against AZ Alkmaar.
He was quoted by Dutch outlet Trouwl: “At the moment I am only working with Ajax and have no further thoughts on the future. The focus is on this season. Right now I shouldn’t be the theme. The theme is: how are we going to win games?”
Ajax lost 2-1 at the weekend against Go Ahead Eagles, after a 2-2 Champions League draw with Benfica. So his priority is to get back to winning games.
Ten Hag has been strongly linked to Manchester United, with The Mail reporting his heart is set on the Old Trafford job and that he is even brushing up on his English skills ahead of the summer.
As he points out, he has a job to do first, and it would have been the wrong time to discuss this ahead of a cup fixture – after two games without a win.
Ten Hag even added, of the upcoming games after this which include the Champions League second leg and a league clash with Feyenoord, “The season is now starting.”
United will have to wait
An ideal situation would have seen Ajax wrap up the league with weeks to spare, and allow Ten Hag to commit early to United.
But as the Eredivisie battle intensifies, the more Ten Hag has to keep focus, and just shut out the United talk for now, or he will leave himself open to criticism that he is distracted, especially if results dip.
United fans just have to be patient, and hopeful, that work is going on behind the scenes to appoint him, and that it will get there in the end.
The Mail reports United CEO Richard Arnold is keen to appoint United’s new boss as soon as possible after the season finishes at the end of May.