Erik ten Hag reveals failed Man Utd signing that blocked Ajax style | Football

When the Dutchman was first brought in nearly two years ago, he was expected to overhaul the counter-attacking, transitional football played by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer – and which continued under interim boss Ralf Rangnick.

Ajax are known for playing a more methodical, possession-based style rooted in the Total Football of Rinus Michels and Johan Cruyff, a style which has heavily influenced Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola.

United had already had a taste of it under Louis van Gaal, who quickly transformed the team from a counter-attacking side to one that looked to dominate the ball, going from an average of 42 per cent possession in the season before he joined (which ranked ninth in the Premier League) to 58.8% in his first campaign (which ranked first).

But this season, United’s matches have been open, end-to-end affairs and the side have had little control, with their 50.4% possession ranking them 10th in a division that has otherwise shifted dramatically towards playing with greater dominance of the ball.

Ten Hag also defended his side’s performances and again attributed any issues to their extensive injury list this season, saying: ‘We are not where we want to be with the way we want to play, but the headlines are still there because we want to be proactive, be dynamic and we want to play with a high line. That’s what we always aim for.

‘We have made improvements. We score more goals after the winter break and also we were more consistent. We haven’t had so many defeats in 2024 – only three defeats – but we draw too much. What we can do is put ourselves in a winning position, but then you have to draw to bring it over the line.

‘When you have so many changes in back four, the rules and principles remain the same, but the patterns are not there. We don’t bring the results and we know that.’

Although United missed out on De Jong, Ten Hag has actually brought in a number of players from Ajax such as Lisandro Martinez and Antony, while goalkeeper Andre Onana also previously played in Amsterdam.

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