Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag gave an in-depth interview to The Athletic's Manchester United correspondent, Laurie Whitwell. Ten Hag reflected on his experience being sacked by Bayer Leverkusen after only three games, revealed that he had invited Garnacho to join the club, and commented on the Argentine winger's personality and ability. He also elaborated on his data-driven approach to player recruitment and criticized INEOS for its shortcomings in football management and expertise. The following is the third part of the interview.
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Ten Hag's coaching spell at Bayer Leverkusen was exceptionally harsh, even by football's unpredictable standards.
Taking over from Xabi Alonso, who had led Bayer Leverkusen to a Bundesliga title before moving to Real Madrid, Ten Hag was sacked after just three games.
Ten Hag: "It was a very strange situation. With the end of the Alonso era, all the players wanted to leave."
"We tried hard to keep some of them, but they were no longer willing to commit to the team. So we had to wait until September 1st."
"Good players were only signed in the final days of the transfer window, and I never even got to work with them. After three games, we parted ways."
When discussing Bayer Leverkusen, Ten Hag spontaneously brought up Garnacho.
Ten Hag: "I feel sorry for his current situation. I told him at the time: 'Come to Bayer Leverkusen.' But fortunately, he didn't."
"He wanted to stay in England. I can understand that—after all, it has the best league—so he declined my invitation."
Ten Hag had previously helped Garnacho develop into a Premier League player.
However, Garnacho's development after transferring to Chelsea was not smooth, and he has since been loaned to Aston Villa.
Ten Hag: "He's a player with a lot of personality, and you have to know how to manage him, but I have a very close relationship with him."
"Of course, it also depends on him. However, he needs a specific type of coach—one who can give him trust and care."
"He really needs that care, there's no doubt about it. But he's an amazing player."
"His most special quality is his tireless running throughout the match. He maintains high intensity and speed, constantly moving back and forth between attack and defense."
"Sometimes his focus isn't entirely on defense. So psychologically and mentally, you have to ensure he stays focused and disciplined, completing his tasks in every transition between attack and defense."
"But he's fully capable of doing all these things. In attack, he can drive forward and perform incredible actions—dribbling past opponents and finishing shots."
"He can also deliver the final pass, but sometimes he can be a bit selfish."
Ten Hag laughed.
Ten Hag: "But yes, you have to find a balance in these aspects."
Afterward, Ten Hag took out his laptop and showed me Twente's planning and data analysis materials.
One image depicted the team as a boat flowing downstream, needing to pass a series of target nodes along the way.
He also displayed multiple pages of detailed statistical analysis used for player recruitment.
Ten Hag: "I evaluate a player based on seven aspects."
"For me, technical ability is the most important. Second is game intelligence and cognitive ability. Third is athleticism, then lifestyle, determination, resilience, and physical endurance to play a match every three days."
"Furthermore, we want the team to always be aggressive."
"For example, when I first arrived at Manchester United, our goal-scoring ability was insufficient to get the team into the top four of the Premier League."
"I wouldn't say football is mathematics, but there is certainly a logic to it."
"For us at Twente, if we want to finish fourth, we need to score 70 goals. If you want to win the Premier League title, you need to score 85 or 90 goals."
"I use these materials every day, so they shouldn't just sit in a drawer."
"If we can achieve the goals we set for ourselves, that is a true winning culture."
"We use data extensively to determine whether potential signings fit our playing style."
Ten Hag continued: "Data has changed the world, and now AI is also coming. Every organization must embrace these changes."
"I think Manchester United was lacking in some areas. When I arrived, they were just starting to build in these areas."
"For example, at Ajax, data analysis had already been integrated into the club's working system for a long time."
In 2022, Manchester United appointed Dominic Jordan as the club's first Head of Data.
Jordan has since left, and Michael Sansoni has taken over. This appointment was made after Sir Jim Ratcliffe's INEOS Group became a minority shareholder in Manchester United in December 2023.
Ten Hag: "As a manager, you should ultimately receive all the necessary information."
"You need others in the club responsible for gathering information and preparing everything so you can make the final decision."
"Top organizations constantly innovate, and in fact, they drive innovation."
"I once proposed to INEOS that I could use my knowledge and abilities to help them build a relevant system, but they believed they already knew everything."
"They are very confident in their perceived ideas, strategies, and working methods."
"But their background is in petrochemicals, Formula One, and cycling. What is needed for top-level football is completely different from these fields."
The next evening, Ten Hag returned to his most familiar setting.
Twente faced Swiss champions Thun in a Europa Conference League match.
18-year-old left-footed centre-back Ruud Nijstad had already attracted attention from several top European clubs, including Manchester United.
He helped Twente keep a clean sheet, and the team ultimately secured a well-deserved 1-0 victory.
The atmosphere in the 30,000-capacity stadium was electric.
Ten Hag went pitchside to give a television interview alongside former Ajax, Twente, and Netherlands national team midfielder Ronald de Boer, and Schalke 04 Technical Director Youri Mulder.
He believes clubs should allow appropriate management to speak publicly at the right time, rather than only having the manager's voice heard by fans.
Ten Hag later stated: "I agree—a club needs more than one voice."
"Regarding squad selection and game plans, that should certainly be the manager's responsibility."
"Issues concerning club culture should probably be explained by the technical director."
"As for financial matters, that should be addressed by the CEO."
In the hallway next to the Twente dressing room, the walls were adorned with portraits of hundreds of players who had played for the club.
Ten Hag pointed to one player who was beloved by both Twente and Manchester United.
Ten Hag: "He provided the assist for Marco van Basten in the 1988 European Championship final."
He was referring to Arnold Mühren, who won the 1983 FA Cup with Manchester United.
Ten Hag's own playing-era photos also hung on that wall.
After the match, Ten Hag drove me back to the hotel. During the journey, we talked about his work as a UEFA technical observer.
He watches top matches at home and conducts technical analysis—for instance, Paris Saint-Germain against Barcelona—because two days later, Twente would travel to Gibraltar to play Lincoln Red Imps away in the Europa Conference League.
Now 56 years old, Ten Hag's passion for football remains undiminished.
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