If Manchester United players have been on the metaphorical beach for weeks, then Eric ten Haag had the chance to be on a very physical beach this week. Long, warm, golden beach.
The 52-year-old left Amsterdam with a third Eredivisie title and a farewell to a manager who brought back the glorious days of Ajax.
He took on his last game last Sunday, but was under contract until the end of next month and could watch their post-season trip to the Caribbean island of Curacao.
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Instead, Ten Hague ignored the sun and chose to spend a few days in the Netherlands working remotely on his plans for United before flying to London on Wednesday.
He will now be in the stands at Selhurst Park on Sunday for the last game of an unfortunate season, but his commitment to work a week before he even officially starts is impressive.
There may be a common belief that United players have struggled throughout their lives at Old Trafford, but this is not the case. They are desperate to regain their former glory at this club, but to do so, they need a manager who is better prepared for this than the two they had this season.
Everyone in the locker room will be desperate for Ten Hague to succeed, so players will be impressed by his diligence and desire this week.
The starting date of his contract with Manchester United is Monday, May 23, but this eight-day break between his last game as Ajax manager and his first day at United was not the starting weapon for a break for Ten Hag.
He used this time to continue with his plans for the club. He may have left Ralph Rangnik to take on the first team, but Ten Haag has been active in recruitment decisions and has worked with football director John Murtow.
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He also has precise pre-season plans, as the tour to Thailand and Australia is already in the diary from July 8 to July 24.
United desperately want Ten Hague to succeed after another wasted season in the era after Sir Alex Ferguson. This was the worst of those nine campaigns, and Ten Hag’s appointment is one that simply cannot fail.
But everyone at Old Trafford, from those who hired him to those who hope to play under him, was encouraged by the extent to which he fulfilled that wish this week.
When his appointment was confirmed last month, the United locker room was encouraged by his coaching qualities and his record for improving players at Ajax, after he was recently unhappy with Ranknik and his assistant Chris Armas.
He felt that some high-level coaching was desperately needed now to restore the fragile faith in the locker room, which had lost credibility in Rangnik and was then marred by some of his public criticism of them.
All worries about Ten Hag focus on his character getting into a job as taxable as that of United, but the level he threw himself into this week, instead of taking a well-deserved break, is a strong start to gaining the trust of those players who will be watching for the first time this weekend.
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