“You don't get the best out of people by hitting them with an iron rod. You do so by gaining their respect, getting them accustomed to triumphs and convincing them that they are capable of improving their performance.”
Legendary Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson laid out his three steps for management in his booking 'Leading: Learning from Life and My Years at Manchester United' and, although it's still very early days, Erik ten Hag looks to already be following them. Well, two out of three at least.
Ten Hag became the fifth permanent manager in the nine years since Ferguson bowed out of the game in May amid a sense of pessimism and apathy around Old Trafford. United had just registered their worst ever Premier League campaign and things looked increasingly bleak. Yet, the hiring of such an exciting coach allowed people to quickly brush it under the carpet. Move on.
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But the grey clouds gathered once more as a transfer window that heralded a grand rebuild started slowly, only then for Cristiano Ronaldo — the club's top scorer and best outfielders by some distance in a dismal campaign — to reveal he wanted to leave. Could things get any worse?
Well, at long last they finally started going in the opposite direction in July as the new faces began to arrive and fans got to see the progress that Ten Hag has already made. There is still a long way to go and their displays on their pre-season tour could just be false dawns, but the difference between the team that brought the season to a close in fittingly meek fashion against Crystal Palace to Ten Hag's burgeoning side couldn't be starker.
It's difficult to believe that it's mostly the same set of players as United already look fitter, more creative, more clinical and more comfortable in possession after just a few week. But, crucially, they now finally have a proper tactical setup to work within. It shows just how much of a difference a really talented coach can make.
Ten Hag is understood to have impressed with his detailed approach to training, especially as it is already being translated to improvements on the pitch. That's certainly a good way to start earning respect from your players, as Ferguson preaches as a necessity. Another is 'convincing them they can improve' and after only four games, we are seeing clear evidence of that, too.
The biggest winner of the tour was Anthony Martial who, in Ronaldo's absence, took up the striker role and displayed all the skills everyone knows he possesses but have hardly been seen over the last two years. He scored three in four games but his overall displays were so much more exciting as he was involved in nearly every other goal, led the line well with strong running and linked with his other attackers to create a dynamic front three.
It's a marked improvement from the sulky presence that struggled at United and Sevilla last season but he isn't alone, with Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Diogo Dalot, Fred, Eric Bailly and Bruno Fernandes all looking rejuvenated under the new manager.
Ten Hag has said himself while speaking to the Manchester Evening News, that he doesn't 'need the hairdryer!' that Ferguson was famed for, so it doesn't appear that he will feel the need to rule with an iron fist. He will instead uphold his high standards. He may raise his voice and express his displeasure if forced to, but he would rather his players govern themselves.
"I think one of the issues, when you want to get results, is you need a team. It is organisation, cooperation, and also you need discipline," he said. "When there is no discipline around you will not find it on the pitch as well. Such issues I’m quite severe.
"But I think it is on the players themselves to also be severe to each other because if they want to achieve success they have to stick together. Sometimes there is a need for correction."
It looks as though Ten Hag holds a lot of similar views on leadership and management as Ferguson but there is one more step that will take a bit more time to fill. It's the most difficult of all — 'getting them accustomed to triumphs.'
If Ten Hag can do that, and finally end the club's trophy drought, he will go into the history books right alongside Ferguson.
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