To achieve greatness, Manchester United needs the ruthlessness of Ten Hag. This is evident in Ten Hag's decisive actions, such as ousting goalkeeper David de Gea from Old Trafford and most recently, stripping Harry Maguire of the captain's armband. The new captain for the Red Devils in the 2023/24 season will be midfielder Bruno Fernandes.
Regarding this incident, Maguire stated, "I told HLV Erik ten Hag that I love MU and want to continue dedicating myself to the team in the upcoming season. But his attitude was very firm. Honestly, I am disappointed with his decision."
This is not the first time since taking charge of MU that Ten Hag has shown the firmness of a coach. In the previous season, the Dutch strategist did something that no one had thought of before: he offloaded superstar Cristiano Ronaldo from the squad.
At that time, Ronaldo was a formidable presence and had caused headaches for previous MU managers like Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick. After being appointed, Ten Hag realized that the Portuguese star was like a "poison" slowly deteriorating the Red Devils. Without hesitation, Ten Hag took action against the five-time Ballon d'Or winner.
After terminating Ronaldo's contract in the middle of the 2022/23 season, MU played more consistently, had a distinct identity, and most importantly, showed greater cohesion. As a result, the team at Old Trafford ended their prolonged trophy drought by winning the English League Cup. The "cold-blooded" approach of HLV Ten Hag clearly benefited the Red Devils.
As the saying goes, those who strive for greatness must possess a certain level of ruthlessness to achieve success. This is best demonstrated by the famous quote "Better to betray than to be betrayed" by the character Tào Tháo in the historical novel "Romance of the Three Kingdoms." What is currently being displayed at Old Trafford by Ten Hag shows that he is such a person.
With Ten Hag, there is no half-heartedness. If he feels that a player is causing issues and affecting the team, he is ready to ruthlessly exclude them. After all, MU is a team led by Ten Hag, and he alone has the ultimate authority to make decisions. His coaching style reminds us of the legendary manager Alex Ferguson, who carried out numerous purges at MU, even with stars like David Beckham, Roy Keane, and Jaap Stam.
Before taking action against Maguire, Ten Hag also made a move that stirred up Old Trafford. He decided to end David de Gea's presence in the goal of MU, despite the club's previous intention to extend the contract with the Spanish star. He intervened strongly in this matter.
Regardless of the fact that MU fans consider De Gea a legend, Ten Hag played his cards openly with the goalkeeper. He declared that either the Spanish star accepted staying and being a backup or he would leave. In the tactical system being built, Ten Hag needed a goalkeeper who could play with his feet, someone who could be the first link in MU's attacking plays.
As a result, De Gea left Old Trafford, and MU is now close to securing goalkeeper Andre Onana from Inter Milan as a replacement. Until now, a considerable number of Red Devils fans still feel discontented with Ten Hag's ruthless treatment of De Gea.
In the case of Maguire, Ten Hag did not face as much opposition as when he dealt with De Gea. The England international has not been in good form in recent seasons and has not demonstrated the leadership role expected of the Red Devils' captain. It is worth mentioning that in the past, both Paul Pogba and Cristiano Ronaldo had proposed to strip Maguire of the captaincy.
Of course, the decision to "depose" Maguire is only the first step for Ten Hag. The Dutch coach is also aiming to offload the 30-year-old player from Old Trafford, believing that he is no longer suitable for the style of play he is building for MU. Ten Hag has clearly defined that the center-back pairing for the Manchester team in the upcoming season will be Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez.
