Former Manchester United goalkeeper and current PSV Eindhoven goalkeeping coach Raimond van der Gouw has urged his old side to be patient with new manager Erik ten Hag.
United have appointed the current Ajax boss as their next manager, with the 52-year-old set to take charge at Old Trafford as soon as the Dutch domestic season is finished.
Van der Gouw knows all about Ten Hag, given his current role with fierce rivals PSV, and he believes teamwork will be a key element of his United rebuild. “I’m looking forward to seeing how it goes for Erik ten Hag at United,” van der Gouw told ManUtd.com about Ten Hag.
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“He has made small steps all along the way in his career and everywhere he has gone it has taken a little bit of time to implement what he wanted to do before people could see it working, but it has worked. At Ajax he has done a fantastic job, winning prizes, playing very attractive football and he has become a better manager along the way.
“But it’s very important that everyone is patient and he is given the time to make the changes that are needed. Like Gary Neville has already said, Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola needed time to get where they are now in English football. Chelsea didn’t win everything as soon as Roman Abramovich bought the club. We have also seen in the past many times that success takes time.
“Of course United want to win trophies, but the most important starting point you can have is a team performance where the players enjoy their football. That is one aspect that I think Erik will see as key: you need a team on the pitch, not 11 players.
"You need a team who wants to work for each other and who all enjoy playing football together. When you have that, you have to look further, but that is the base that I’m sure he will look to build.”