What Tottenham fans can look forward to if Erik ten Hag is appointed

 

When Jose Mourinho was relieved of his duties at Tottenham last week, attention turned to the hunt for the Portuguese boss' successor in north London. Well, after the furore surrounding the European Super League died down enough to focus elsewhere. 

 

In the wake of Tottenham's embarassing Europa League exit at the hands of Dinamo Zagreb, Mourinho was on borrowed time at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Many had expected the former Chelsea boss to see out the season before Spurs reassessed, but Daniel Levy elected to pull the trigger in the week leading up to the Carabao Cup final. 

 

Ryan Mason took over in the interim and the dismissal of Mourinho felt like the gloom engulfing Spurs had been lifted. Optimism replaced pessimism as fans, who had grown weary of miserable Mourinho, suddenly looked forward to watching their team in action again. 

 

With five games to go, and a top-four finish to play for, it will be interesting to see how Spurs see out 2020/21. According to Football.London's Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Alasdair Gold, the club are hoping to announce their next manager before the end of the season on May 23rd. 

 

The previous favourite for the job, Julian Nagelsmann, is succeeding Hansi Flick as Bayern head coach in the summer, while Brendan Rodgers has ruled himself out of taking charge of a side below Leicester in the table. Another Premier League manager, Graham Potter, has been linked, but the rumoured frontrunner now is Ajax head coach Erik ten Hag. 

 

The 51-year-old took over the Ajax reins in December 2017, succeeding Marcel Keizer at the Johan Cruyff Arena, and, in his first full season in charge, knocked PSV off their perch and guided Ajax to their 34th Eredivisie title. It's likely that the Dutch powerhouse would have gone on to win the 2019/20 championship, too, only for the COVID-19 pandemic to result in the cancellation of the season and no title winner declared. 

 

Fast forward to the present day and Ajax are one win away from title number 35 to follow up their KNVB Cup success earlier this month. When Bayern sacked Niko Kovac in 2019, Ten Hag was touted as a potential successor, which speaks volumes of his stature as a manager, perhaps stemming from his time as Bayern Munich II boss from 2013 to 2015, but also from the exciting football he has his Ajax side playing. 

 

As one might expect, Ajax are the dominant force in the Netherlands once more. They have won 24 of their 30 league matches, have scored at least 33 more goals (89) than any other side and have conceded the fewest (21) in the division. Spurs may not be of the same level as Ajax in terms of domestic dominance, but it's the opportunity to manage a side in one of Europe's top leagues. 

 

With a little over a year left to run on his current deal in Amsterdam, the compensation package would be more than affordable for Spurs, who will have had to pay a pretty penny to see the back of Mourinho and his coaching staff. Given the expected lack of Champions League football, the purse strings will be tight for Ten Hag to work with if he does take over as Spurs boss, but then he is a manager who has worked wonders with the young players at his disposal for this Ajax side. 

 

Ajax's average age of 24.2 years is the sixth youngest in the Eredivisie this season and in utilising youth, this is another way for Levy to see a return on the money spent to finance one of the best training grounds in football. Spurs have an abundance of youngsters on the books chomping at the bit to prove their worth. The likes of Ryan Sessegnon, Oliver Skipp and Jack Clarke have all made first team outings for Spurs and are currently on loan at Hoffenheim, Norwich and Stoke, respectively. 

 

Then there is the likes of Dennis Cirkin, Troy Parrott and Alfie Devine in the U23s and below that are hoping to make their mark at the club. They, among others, will have seen the impact Ryan Gravenberch, Mohammed Kudus - prior to injury - and Devyne Rensch made after all were handed the chance to make their name for Ajax under Ten Hag and be buoyed by the potential appointment of a manager who isn't afraid to turn to his youth team stars in his time of need. 

 

In terms of the tactics he'll implement, Ten Hag has favoured a 4-3-3 system for Ajax this term, but has also used a 4-2-3-1 setup, two formations that Spurs are well versed in. The full-backs push on when they are on the ball, of which Ajax see a lot of - 60.4% is the highest in the Eredivisie - and one of the central midfielders drops in to add another option and ensure Ajax aren't caught out when they lose possession. 

 

There is versatility to the way Ajax attack, so they can utilise the attacking full-backs to stretch opponents, or play through the middle, which would benefit ball carriers such as Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso. Off the ball, Ten Hag's Ajax side work tirelessly to press opponents and force mistakes to spring quick counter attacks. Indeed, Ajax have won possession in the attacking third more times (213) than any other Eredivisie side this season, which will appeal to Spurs fans who fondly remember Mauricio Pochettino's pressing machine at their ball-winning best. 

 

 

Supporters, too, will have gotten a first hand look at Ten Hag's Ajax during the 2018/19 Champions League run, where Ajax faced Spurs in the semi-finals and were seconds away from defeating the Premier League side, only for Lucas Moura to bag a very, very late winner in the Netherlands. 

 

Of course, caution must be applied when talking up the potential of bringing Ten Hag in from the Eredivisie. Frank de Boer enjoyed plenty of success as Ajax boss up until his 2016 exit, guiding the Amsterdammers to four Dutch top-flight titles, and he was linked with a move to Spurs prior to Pochettino's 2014 appointment. However, after leaving Ajax in 2016, De Boer endured failed stints at Inter, Crystal Palace and Atlanta United before, curiously, being named Netherlands head coach in the wake of Ronald Koeman's move to Barcelona. 

 

That said, while De Boer's first major managerial role as at Ajax, Ten Hag has cut his teeth elsewhere, mainly in the Netherlands, but his time in Germany will have served him very well. Spurs need a rebuild, too, and with money tight, the use of the youth academy is an appealing prospect for the hierarchy, and the fans, who love nothing more than a homegrown hero! 

 

Given the time and the backing, Ten Hag could prove a shrewd appointment by Spurs, but the former has previously been found in short supply in English football. Yet after the debacle that was Mourinho, Daniel Levy knows he needs to make this right appointment and weighing up the pros and cons, Ten Hag could prove a good fit for Spurs.

What Tottenham fans can look forward to if Erik ten Hag is appointed