Erik ten Hag warns Sir Jim Ratcliffe over plan to copy Man City's blueprint
Erik ten Hag has warned New Manchester United owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe that he won’t bring the glory years back to Old Trafford by copying Manchester City ’s blueprint for success.
Ratcliffe admitted that he viewed United’s biggest rivals as the ultimate football powerhouse after sealing a £1.3billion deal to buy a 27.7 percent stake in the club he supported as a boy. Britain’s richest man has already raided the Etihad to take City executive Omar Berrada to United as the club’s new CEO - and wants former Blues’ academy chief Jason Wilcox to join him in a recruitment role.
But Ten Hag has cautioned his new boss against sacrificing United’s DNA ahead of the 192nd Manchester derby. Ten Hag said: “I think you can always learn from opponents who are successful - and you have to do that if you want to go to higher levels.
“But at the same time we have to do it in the United way. This is a different club, with a different environment and with a different DNA. You pick up things what can be successful - and you integrate it into your own model.”
Ratcliffe has taken control of the football operation after agreeing to go into business with the Glazer family - despite the Americans presiding over a decade of failure at the club.
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City have become the most dominant force in the Premier League during that time. Pep Guardiola has won five out of the last six titles and last season emulated the Treble triumph of Sir Alex Ferguson ’s 1999 team.
Ten Hag is now under pressure to deliver on the promise of his first season at the club when United finished third, won the Carabao Cup and were beaten by City in the FA Cup Final.
The Reds have lost 15 times in 37 games in all competitions. After finishing bottom of their Champions League group, they are now left with the huge task of trying to qualify again after Fulham sentenced them to a 10th Premier League defeat of the season at Old Trafford.
Manchester United have endured a tough season so far (Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)Ratcliffe has refused to back his manager - leaving the Dutchman on trial for the rest of the campaign. United did beat Nottingham Forest in midweek to book a home FA Cup quarter-final date with Liverpool.
But it was another lacklustre performance at the City Ground - and the commitment of players like Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes has been questioned.
Ten Hag agrees that the body language of his players is important - but insisted he has no problem with the emotion of his players. He said: “Of course it (body language) is important because it gives an expression.
“We talk about this issue with the players and team - and also as individuals… of what is the impact on the crowd but also on opponents, because football is such a psychological game, win or lose.
Rivals Manchester City won a famous Treble last season (Getty Images)“You have to take everything you can and use it to your advantage, so when your body language can be positive, and your expression, then you use it for the good of your own team.
“ What you see is the character of a player expressed in their body language - and that is not a thing that you can change in a short time.
“I think Bruno is a good example of this. I have seen he wants to win and so he shows his emotion and that is an absolute strength from him to push his own team. He shows how much he wants to win so that others around him pick it up and go and fight with it.”
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