Jamie Carragher has revealed he had a distinct impression of Erik ten Hag after meeting him early in his spell at Manchester United.
After a disastrous campaign that ended with Ralf Rangnick taking interim control of the club, Ten Hag was appointed United's new manager in April 2022.
During his four-year spell at Ajax, the Dutchman had built a reputation for his ability to get the best out of his players, and in 2019 he led the club to its first Champions League semi-final in more than two decades.
Taking the reins at Old Trafford, however, presented a very different challenge.
After significant investment in the transfer window, Ten Hag suffered consecutive losses in their first two Premier League games, including a humiliating 4–0 defeat to Brentford.
With pressure mounting on Ten Hag ahead of a visit to Liverpool, Carragher and Gary Neville interviewed him at United's training base in Carrington.
In his column for The Telegraph this week, Carragher claimed Ten Hag lacked a certain 'X-factor' present in the best coaches, which became immediately apparent during their meeting.
'The most successful ones have charisma and personality.' Carragher wrote.
'Only those who work in the same environment can tell first-hand how the manager operates behind the scenes, but for those of us on the outside looking in, perceptions matter.
'Without dwelling too much on United's recent past, this was a red flag against Ten Hag from day one.
'Two games into his reign, Gary Neville and I had the pleasure of interviewing Ten Hag at United's training ground. He was a polite man, but there was no sense of x-factor.
'As I was driving away from the meeting that day, I turned to Gary and said, 'He must be a super coach because there's not a lot of charisma.'
Despite his faltering start in Manchester, Ten Hag would lead United to a 2-1 win over Liverpool just days after the interview was filmed.
The club would then finish third in the league that season, while they would also capture their first trophy in six years when they defeated Newcastle to win the EFL Cup.
Ten Hag would follow with more silverware in his second season, as United defeated rivals Man City to win the FA Cup, but a dismal league display left his future uncertain.
The Dutchman retained his position during the crisis talks over the summer, but his position at the club looked increasingly tenuous ahead of the current season.
Despite another summer of spending, United made their worst ever start to a Premier League season with just three wins from their opening nine games.
Unsurprisingly, the club's Ineos ownership grew impatient in their quest to deliver results and Ten Hag was summarily sacked as the club languished in the bottom half of the table.
His successor, former Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim, will take charge of his first match next Sunday as United travel to Portman Road to take on Ipswich.
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