Does Erik Ten Hag’s Future Lie in the Bundesliga?

Erik Ten Hag is a wanted man despite being sacked by Manchester United earlier in the season, and it looks as though he could be in charge of another club at the start of the next campaign.  

The Dutchman managed in the Eredivisie for several years, but could the Bundesliga be his next destination?

Odds courtesy of bet365. Correct at time of publishing and subject to change.

The Bundesliga Can Offer a Chance at Redemption

Despite steering Manchester United to their worst ever Premier League finish, Ten Hag’s stock remains high. He lifted silverware in both of his full seasons with the Red Devils. Erik was heavily criticised during his time at Old Trafford but the job has proved to be a poisoned chalice since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013. Ruben Amorim, the current United boss, has also endured a tough start and the team currently sit 14th. 

Erik has a great affinity with Ajax after a hugely successful stint at the club. He guided them to the Champions League semi-finals and lifted three league titles while in charge at the Johan Cruyff Arena. However, with the team back to their best under Francesco Farioli after a couple of years in the doldrums, an imminent return to Ajax is unlikely for Erik Ten Hag. 

The Bundesliga could prove to be a good option for Ten Hag. He has previously worked in Germany with Bayern Munich II between 2013 and 2015. The Dutchman was also spotted at several Borussia Dortmund games earlier in the season with the media speculating he is very close friends with Matthias Sammer, an advisor at the club. BVB have since changed their manager and appointed Niko Kovac, making it another unlikely destination for Ten Hag. 

Ten Hag confirmed that he is “not doing anything until July 1st” in a recent interview. Despite Dortmund now seemingly off the table, he is likely to have several suitors, many of which could come from the top tier of German football. 

Erik Can Change RB Leipzig’s Fortunes 

RB Leipzig

RB Leipzig have enjoyed a meteoric rise since being taken over by the Red Bull Group. They were promoted to the German top flight for the 2016/17 season and have finished in the top four in the last six campaigns. Marco Rose’s side currently sit 6th in the league and failure to secure a place in Europe’s top competition could spell the end for the manager, meaning they would be on the hunt for a new boss in the summer.

Erik Ten Hag’s approach at Manchester United could lend itself nicely to the players already at RB Leipzig. The club want the team to press high up the pitch and play plenty of vertical passes when attacking. Erik attempted to install this style of play at United but lacked the energetic players to carry out his plan. The Leipzig players appear better suited to this game model.

RB Leipzig have won just one of their last nine league matches and they face Borussia Dortmund this weekend. During that poor run, they are scoring an average of 1.22 goals per game and conceding just as many. Leipzig have already been beaten by BVB this season. The odds for the visitors to emerge victorious appeal given the form that Marco Rose’s side are in. 

Bayer Leverkusen

Bayer Leverkusen won the first Bundesliga title in their history last season by going the entire domestic campaign undefeated with Xabi Alonso at the helm. While they’re unlikely to retain their crown this season, that monumental achievement has attracted some of Europe’s biggest clubs to Alonso and he could be on the move this summer. Ten Hag is a name that would likely come up should the board need to seek a replacement.  

This would arguably be the most appealing job for Erik Ten Hag. Leverkusen will be playing in the Champions League. They also have plenty of valuable players that could form a key part of the team or fund a rebuild under a new manager. The current Leverkusen side are dynamic on ball and work extremely hard to win it back. They are also accustomed to dominating the ball, like Erik’s successful Ajax team.

Wolfsburg

Ralph Hassenhuttl is the man currently in charge at Wolfsburg. They are 7th in the table and are enduring a poor run. The team have now won just two of their last nine in the Bundesliga, leaving them on the backfoot in the race for Europe.

This is probably the least attractive option for Erik Ten Hag but Wolfsburg are a hugely successful club. They won the Bundesliga back in 2009 but it has been a tumultuous period since then. Hassenhuttl is known for his aggressive counter-pressing style so Ten Hag’s approach wouldn’t be wildly different but it could yield better results. 

In the meantime, Wolfsburg face Augsburg this weekend. Jess Thorup’s side are unbeaten in their last nine league outings and beat Borussia Dortmund last weekend. We are backing them to win when they host Hassenhuttl’s men this weekend. 

Safer Gambling

At bettingexpert, we always take a safe approach to gambling. We’ll never bet more than we can afford or chase losses. For more advice, head to our Safer Gambling hub.