Ajax's Dutch coach Erik ten Hag gestures during the Dutch Eredivisie football match between Ajax Amsterdam and SC Heerenveen at the Johan Cruijff ArenA in Amsterdam Former Manchester United coach Erik ten Hag did not impress Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher right from the start of his tenure at the Red Devils. Photo: Maurice van Steen/ANP/AFP
Image: Maurice van Steen/ANP/AFP
Now that the dust has well and truly settled on the departure of Erik ten Hag as Manchester United coach, former Liverpool player Jamie Carragher has revealed the dim perception he held of the former Red Devils boss.
Ten Hag was sacked at the end of last month, and new coach Ruben Amorim will take charge of a United team languishing in 13th place on the Premier League log.
Since the retirement of Alex Ferguson in 2013 after he led them to 13 Premier League titles between 1992 and 2013, five FA Cups and two Champions League titles it has been slim pickings for the team in red from Manchester.
The 46-year-old Carragher who spent his entire 17-year career at Liverpool as he racked up 508 appearances and no Premier League titles, gave a brutally honest assessment of his first impression of Ten Hag in a column for The Telegraph.
“The most successful have an aura and personality.' Carragher wrote.
“Only those working in the same environment can offer a first-hand account of how the manager operates behind the scenes, but for those of us on the outside looking in, perceptions matter.
“Without dwelling too much on United’s recent past, this was a red flag against Ten Hag from day one. Two games into his reign, Gary Neville and I had the pleasure of interviewing Ten Hag at United’s training ground. He was a polite guy but there was no sense of an x-factor.
“Driving away from the meeting that day, I turned to Gary and said: ‘He must be a supercoach because there isn’t much charisma.’
The 39-year-old Ruben Amorim officially began work for United on November 11, and his first assignment will be a league encounter away at Ipswich Town on Sunday, before a Europa League clash at home as they welcome Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt on November 28.
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