Paul Scholes has praised Erik ten Hag for his tactical flexibility following Manchester United's 3-1 Premier League win over Arsenal on Sunday afternoon.
The match saw a return to the counter-attacking style of play which became a staple of Ole Gunnar Solksjaer's time at Old Trafford, although not the style which new boss Ten Hag was expected to utilise when he joined the club this summer. The Dutchman was known for being a possession-focused manager during his time with Ajax but Scholes says that, presented with this group of players, the Dutchman has adjusted his style.
United had 62.9% possession in their opening day defeat at the hands of Brighton and Hove Albion, followed by 66.7% in their defeat to Brentford in their second match. However, their recent wins over Liverpool and Arsenal have seen just 29.5% and 39% respectively to reflect the change in style for the manager.
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Despite the club's summer transfer business, United legend Scholes says the current style has been adopted as a result of the players available to Ten Hag and that he should be praised for his flexibility to step away from his preferred style of play. The former ENgland midfielder also hinted Ten Hag's flexibility is a trait that managers at other top clubs in the Premier League lack.
Speaking to Premier League TV as a pundit for Saturday's fixture he said: "These players now are probably not suited to the way he wants to play, but he's found a way to win games with this group of players – now, why would you change and go back to something that didn't really work at the start of the season?
"He's found a way of playing football on the counter-attack with this group of players – why change that?" He added: "We talk about philosophies all the time, don't we? These managers are stubborn. Arteta will be stubborn, Guardiola will be stubborn, Jurgen Klopp will be stubborn; but this man – you have to give him credit because he's gone away, really from what he wants to do."
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