Zlatan Ibrahimovic Hints At Surprise Ten Hag Call At Man Utd

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has suggested that Manchester United might be wise to replace Erik Ten Hag as manager.

As one of the biggest clubs in world football, the manager’s job at Old Trafford comes with a level of scrutiny that few roles can really match.

Indeed, the likes of Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Louis Van Gaal, and David Moyes have all held the reins since Sir Alex Ferguson retired a decade ago, and in all honesty none of them have been able to get close to the success the iconic Scot enjoyed.

Ten Hag is the next man trying to change the fortunes of the club, then, but after a positive enough season last year which saw them win the League Cup and finish inside the top four, they have had a poor start to this campaign.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic gives verdict on Erik Ten Hag at Manchester United

Indeed, for Ibrahimovic, the lack of experience Ten Hag has of managing a club like United could well be an issue that needs addressing.

Speaking to Piers Morgan on Talk TV, he said: “Ajax is a talented club. They have the best talents in the club. They don’t have big stars.

“What is the experience of this coach? Young talents. He comes to United, it is a different mentality, different players.

“The players there are supposed to be big stars. He is in a different situation. I can imagine him coming from Ajax to United is a big difference, because I have been in both clubs.

“It is a different kind of approach. There you have a different kind of discipline. You come to United and do the same thing… I don’t believe it is the same treatment you give.”

Is Ten Hag out of his depth?

Asked if Ten Hag was out of his depth, the Swedish legend said: “I think he needs more time to get the experience how to handle a team.

“When I was in Milan, I cannot give you time to develop, to perform, you need to perform straight, because like I said, survival mode, it’s you or another one, because United is in a situation, you don’t do good enough, the next day there is another one, and the result speaks for itself, so that’s why it’s tricky.

“But how much time do you give a coach? I don’t know, it depends on the owners, what they want, but if you listen to the fans, you don’t have a lot of time because they want to win, and I understand them because they are used to winning and they want to still win.”

It sounds as though Ibrahimovic thinks a more experienced manager at the very highest level should come in for Ten Hag, though United appear content to let the Dutchman continue to work and try and build the project at Old Trafford.