'S**T team with S**T players!' - Major Ajax decision will terrify Man Utd boss Ten Hag
Tom Weber
- Updated: 23 Oct 2023 19:03 BST
- 3 min read
Ajax have finally sacked Maurice Steijn amid links to Erik ten Hag's assistant coach.
The Dutch giants have endured a historically bad start to this Eredivisie season, currently languishing in 17th, a relegation spot. Though this campaign is still young, former player Rafael van der Vaart believes that the league's record champions must start thinking like relegation battlers at this point.
However, the ex-Real Madrid and Tottenham star wanted the storied club to continue with head coach Steijn, asserting that recently sacked sporting director Sven Mislintat was more to blame than the coach. This led to suggestions that Van der Vaart was protecting Steijn because the two are friends.
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"Nonsense," the former midfielder snapped back. "I just see – I'll just say it – a s**t team with s**t players and he has to make do with that." Now, against the advice of the Dutch legend, Steijn has officially been sacked and Ajax find themselves at a crucial juncture.
Man Utd man to the rescue?
One man who has been linked with the Ajax job, even before it became vacant, is Mitchell van der Gaag, one of Erik ten Hag's two assistants at Manchester United. Dutch media reported last week that Van der Gaag would be open to becoming a head coach again, a role he had at several clubs prior to his involvement with Ten Hag.
Another name that is now being mentioned in Dutch media is Albert Stuivenberg, Mikel Arteta's assistant at Arsenal. However, these links are not concrete and rather a suggestion from journalist Mikos Gouka, who believes that the Dutchman would be able to bring back the attacking style Ajax used to be renowned for.
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Intriguingly, Stuivenberg also has a Man Utd past, having worked there as Louis van Gaal's assistant. Van Gaal is now an advisor at Ajax despite his ongoing health issues and could perhaps look to reunite with his former colleague. Regardless of whether it will be Van der Gaag, Stuivenberg or someone completely different, Ajax's new coach will face a mammoth task.
