In a recent interview, former Manchester United defender Stam put forward clear expectations and requirements for the current coach Ten Hag. He pointed out that with ten Hag entering his third season in charge of Manchester United, it was time to prove his coaching ability with convincing results.
Despite Manchester United's poor performance in the Premier League last season, only ranking eighth, Ten Hag successfully led the team to win the FA Cup. This honor won him the trust and support of the club's top management, so that he could continue to coach. However, Stam believes that this is no reason for ten Hag to relax his demands.
Stam stressed: "This is Ten Hag's third season at Manchester United. He should lead the team to show his due strength and achieve better results. Renewing the contract is of course a good thing, but it doesn't mean that he can sit back and relax. On the contrary, he needs more help, as well as self-reflection and adjustment."
When talking about Ten Hag's positioning of the team style, Stam expressed his different views. He mentioned: "Ten Hag often says that Manchester United played beautiful football, but I don't always agree with this view. I understand that coaches need to be optimistic and decompress players, but sometimes they also need to face problems more honestly. If the team doesn't perform well, the head coach should bravely point it out instead of blindly covering it up."
Stam also specifically mentioned Manchester United's huge personnel changes this season, which he believes will bring greater challenges and opportunities for ten Hag. He said: "The personnel within the club have changed a lot, which is both pressure and motivation for Ten Hag. I'm curious about how he adjusts his tactics and lineup, and what he will achieve in the end."
