Erik ten Hag’s ex-Man Utd assistant reveals main regret from Old Trafford spell

Manchester United suffered a turbulent two years under Erik ten Hag despite winning two cups and his former assistant manager has reflected back on his rollercoaster journey under the Dutchman at Old Trafford

Erik ten Hag’s former Manchester United assistant Mitchell van der Gaag has admitted his main “disappointment” from his time at Old Trafford was the team’s poor display in the Europa League.

United endured mixed fortunes under Ten Hag as they won the Carabao Cup in his first season, finishing third in the process, and the FA Cup in his second campaign.

But the 2024-25 season proved to be the end for Ten Hag as he was axed in October after leading United to their worst start in the club’s history, with Ruben Amorim replacing him.

Van der Gaag said he had positive memories from his time with United despite his turbulent spell working under Ten Hag, saying the team proved they could be a force in cup competitions.

But he said he regretted their lack of impact in the Europa League after only reaching the quarter-finals in 2022-23, losing to eventual winners Sevilla 5-2 on aggregate.

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Speaking to Give Me Sport, he said: “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.”

He reflected on a “strange” second campaign that saw the team suffer a terrible run of form that saw Ten Hag come close to the sack before winning the FA Cup, which bought him more time despite finishing eighth. Van der Gaag said he “learnt a lot” and enjoyed coaching with United even though it ended on a sour note.

“That was a very strange season [2023-24],” he added. “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.”

Ten Hag has since become the new manager of Bayer Leverkusen, but Van der Gaag decided not to join his backroom staff. Instead, he has taken up management himself by becoming the new manager of FC Zurich.

It’s set to be a tough start for Ten Hag’s new team after selling two of their best players in Florian Wirtz, who joined Liverpool in a record £116.5m deal, while right-back Jeremie Frimpong also moved to Anfield.

Meanwhile, defender Jonathan Tah joined their biggest rivals Bayern Munich on a free transfer and Granit Xhaka is in danger of moving to Sunderland.

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