Former Chelsea and Newcastle manager Ruud Gullit has warned Erik ten Hag about the pressures that come with the Manchester United job.
The Ajax head coach remains favourite to take up the hot seat at Old Trafford but Gullit has told his fellow Dutchman to be wary of former players, such as Gary Neville, who could make things more difficult for him:
“Is it the right choice [to go to United]? That has to be seen. They also want to play the football he plays, but it’s going to be a really terrible job. There are all these former players in the TV studios: Gary Neville, Rio Ferdinand, Paul Scholes… There is constant pressure on the team, that is not easy.”
“Know what to expect, it’s a huge job. He also has to be given the time, but I don’t know if you get the time at Manchester United. The former footballers are constantly raking, you get it on your plate all the time and you have to be able to handle that. I would like it if a Dutch trainer is successful, because things are not going so well in Europe.”
Gullit is right to point out the high level of media scrutiny that comes with the United job but, if ten Hag doesn’t think he can handle the pressure, he shouldn’t be in contention for the job anyway.
United is hardly the only club that has former stars judging the team’s every move. Real Madrid and Barcelona have entire newspapers and TV programmes dedicated to them, which means the two La Liga clubs are unparalleled in terms of being under the microscope from journalists and ex-players.
At Old Trafford, ten Hag will certainly have to overcome some massive obstacles, but criticism from pundits should be way down his list of concerns.
