It was always going to be tough to replace Erik ten Hag after the Dutchman headed west to take over at fallen giants Manchester United. Ten Hag bowed out as a three-time Eredivisie champion, leaving his successor with massive shoes to fill at the Johan Cruijff Arena. CEO Edwin van...
Who Is Erik Ten Hag? Following the sacking of Marcel Keizer in December 2017, Erik ten Hag took over as the manager of Ajax. Since his appointment, he has won the Eredivisie title in the 2018-19 season and the KNVB Cup. This is on top of a well-documented run to the...
Few players in Europe divide opinion quite like Marcus Rashford. At his best, he looks unstoppable, combining blistering pace with elite ball-striking and the ability to terrorise defenders one-on-one. At his worst, he can appear disengaged, lacking intensity and consistency. Yet across his career, there has always been a clear...
Scott McTominay’s 2024/2025 campaign with Napoli under Antonio Conte was nothing short of transformational. Having spent the majority of his career at Manchester United, where he was often deployed in more restrained, defensively focused roles, the Scotland international sought a fresh challenge last summer. That bold decision to leave Old...
On Saturday, August 30, 2025, Werder Bremen faced off against Bayer Leverkusen at the Weserstadion, for Matchday 2 of the new Bundesliga season. Both teams had hired new managers in the offseason: Horst Steffen for Werder and Erik ten Hag for Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Yet both teams had started the season with defeats and were...
Marcus Rashford’s loan to Barcelona in the summer of 2025 represents more than just a high-profile transfer; it is, in many ways, a final attempt to reignite a career that once promised world-class heights. After struggling for rhythm and consistency during the latter stages of his Manchester United tenure, followed...
At the beginning of May, Bayer Leverkusen officially announced the signing of talented Algerian midfielder Ibrahim Maza from Hertha Berlin, activating a €12 million release clause in his contract to secure his services. The 2023/2024 German champions made the move quickly, given the interest Maza was garnering with the summer...
Listen to this article free on the Total Football Analysis Podcast. Available on Spotify, Apple Podcast, or RSS. As the club's historic era comes to an end, with manager Xabi Alonso likely heading to Real Madrid, it's time to look forward to the future for Bayer Leverkusen. They look set to embark on a new journey under former...
What Is Overloading To Isolate In Football? Overloading to isolate is a tactical concept utilised by many coaches, including Pep Guardiola of Manchester City in the Premier League and Erik ten Hag, formerly of Manchester United and Ajax. This technique involves overloading one side of the pitch to drag the majority of the opposition...
Since Sir Alex Ferguson left the club, Manchester United have had no less than 10 managers, including interim appointments, with Rúben Amorim now becoming the latest to take on the role. Despite a series of managerial changes, Man United have struggled to find a coach who can restore them to...
Manchester United’s poor start to the season has left them sitting in 13th place with just seven points from six matches. A deeper look into Erik ten Hag's tactical approach reveals that they’ve only scored five goals, the second-lowest in the Premier League, with only Southampton scoring fewer, with three...
While the Premier League has had their fair share of deep-lying playmakers and registas, England as a nation have struggled to produce such profiles in their academies. Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo could be precisely what the Three Lions need to answer pivots they had to import from the likes of...
The relationship between a #9 and #10 is a fascinating one. While the modern game has largely moved on from a #10 operating as a free player, the connection between a team's highest attacking midfielder and their striker is still pivotal to their success. The role of the #10 may...
The Glazer's control over Manchester United has been turbulent, to say the least. The American-based owners have been accused of letting one of the biggest clubs in world football left to rot. All the while, they profit financially, living off the club's history. However, this season has brought new optimism...
There are some fixtures in football that have a habit of producing memorable encounters. Following the infamous Battle of the Bridge in 2016, Tottenham's 4-1 home defeat to Chelsea last week was another classic. However, it wasn't so much a battle this time but Lunacy at the Lane. There were...
Manchester United have suffered a disappointing start to the season so far, with the worst start to a league campaign in 34 years. Seven games in, the Red Devils have earned 9 points and lost both opening games of the UEFA Champions League group stage to Bayern Munich and Galatasaray...
Erik Ten Hag: We have to make our luck. The Red Devils' 4-3 loss at the Allianz Arena comes after back-to-back 3-1 defeats against Brighton and Arsenal in the Premier League, a continuation of United's negative results at the start of the season. In his Champions League debut for Bayern...
Manchester United come into the season off the back of their most successful season since 2016/17. In Erik Ten Hag’s debut season, he brought back silverware to Old Trafford with a Carabao Cup victory over Newcastle while helping the Red Devils rise to third in the league and reach the...
The FA Cup final is always a special occasion, but this year's edition promises to be an even more thrilling clash as Man City and Man United face each other in the final for the first time in the tournament's history. The two rivals from the same city will battle...
"The measure of intelligence is the ability to change." — Albert Einstein Erik ten Hag is widely regarded as an elite coach. He is capable of deploying various tactics and using players in different ways to optimise his team's performance by using his players' strengths in innovative and unconventional ways....
