The former assistant manager of Erik ten Hag – Mitchell van der Gaag – is open about his time at Manchester United.
Van der Gaag served under ten Hag after he followed him from Ajax to Old Trafford in 2022, so that the Red Devils helped the EFL Cup and the FA Cup in his two seasons in the club.
After a commotion of the United coaching team in the summer of 2024 – in which Ruud van Nistelrooy replaced him as an assistant – Van der Gaag left the club in July that year to play a management role elsewhere.
The 53-year-old was unveiled this year as the new head coach of FC Zurich and signed a two-year-old deal with the Swiss side.
Van der Gaag described his term of office in United as a 'beautiful' period, but admitted that there was a big disappointment that remained with him from the two -year enchantment.
“I look back on my time at Manchester United Positive,” he told Givemesport. “I think they were 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 was in my opinion 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. '
United Boog in 2023-24 from the Europa League after a humiliating 5-2 defeat by Seville in the quarterfinals.
After taking a 2-0 lead in the first stage in Old Trafford, United collapsed late, admitted twice in the last ten minutes to let the draw in balance. The second stage in Spain turned out to be a disaster, with the side of ten hag to a 3-0 defeat.
In his debut season, Ten Hag brought renewed optimism to Old Trafford. United finished third in the Premier League, achieved the Carabao Cup and reached the FA Cup final.
But despite the specifications, his second year presented a large number of challenges. United struggled to an eighth place in the Premier League and left the Champions League in the group phase.
Ultimately, United saved their campaign with a dramatic victory over Manchester City in the FA Cup final in Wembley – a triumph that, Van der Gaag said, helped to give a more positive twist to a turbulent year.
He added: 'That was a very strange season [2023-24]. We were not good enough in the Premier League of Champions League. There were also very strange results because there were games that we won comfortably and then pulled or lost.
“But in the end we won the FA Cup. It places everything in a positive way, so that was important.
'They were two years old when I learned a lot, especially about the way the Premier League functions, the way in which football is played and the tactical variations. It was something I really enjoyed. '
Ten Hag was fired last October with Man United in 14th place in the Premier League after winning only four of their opening 14 games.
His departure came despite the fact that the club caused a contract extension of a year last summer.
Earlier between 2015 and 2017, the Dutchman had served as a coach of the second team of Bayern Munich.
Ten Hag then enjoyed an impressive spell at Utrecht, before he led Ajax to three consecutive Dutch titles and the semi -final of the Champions League 2019.
At United, Ten Hag won 70 of his 128 games that are in charge – a profit percentage of 54.69 percent – the second highest profit rate of a manager to supervise 100 or more matches in the history of the club.
The 55-year-old now manages Bayer Leverkusen, after he succeeded Xabi Alonso in May.