Manchester United v Newcastle United - Carabao Cup Final
A former assistant manager to Erik ten Hag has revealed what the biggest disappointment from his spell at Manchester United was.
Van der Gaag spent two years at Man Utd
WHAT HAPPENED?
Mitchell van der Gaag served under Ten Hag for two seasons between 2022 and 2024 and helped United win the Carabao Cup and FA Cup. The current FC Zurich head coach, who left the Red Devils last summer as part of a coaching shakeup, described his time at Old Trafford as "wonderful" but admitted their performances in Europe were disappointing.
FBL-ENG-PR-NOTTINGHAM FOREST-MAN UTD
WHAT VAN DER GAAG SAID
He told GiveMeSport: "I look back on my time at Manchester United positively. I think it was two wonderful years. They were very positive and I learned a lot. The first year was very positive because we finished in third place, won the Carabao Cup and went to the FA Cup final. I think the only disappointment, in my opinion, was that we could have been better in the Europa League. But I think the first year was very positive, so everyone expected that we could improve in the second season.
"That was a very strange season [2023-24]. We were not good enough in the Premier League or Champions League. There were very strange results as well because there were games we were winning comfortably and then drawing or losing. But, in the end, we won the FA Cup. It puts everything in a positive way, so that was important. They were two years when I learned a lot, especially about the way the Premier League functions, the way football is played and the tactical variations. It was something that I really enjoyed."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Van der Gaag may have left United at the right time as Ten Hag was sacked a few months later. Indeed, things have arguably got even worse for the Red Devils, with Ruben Amorim's side finishing a lowly 15th in the Premier League last season. But the Dutchman won two trophies in his spell, which is more than most United managers can say since Sir Alex Ferguson left the club in 2013.
Erik ten Hag
WHAT NEXT?
Van der Gaag's FC Zurich, new Bayer Leverkusen boss Ten Hag and United are preparing for the fast-approaching 2025-26 campaign, with all three sides set to begin their respective league seasons in August.
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