Ten Hag: ‘Everyone was telling me, you can’t succeed’Coach says he wanted challenge of revitalising ‘great club’ Erik ten Hag has revealed he was warned not to become the Manchester United manager because it was deemed an “impossible” job. The 53-year-old Dutchman moved to Old Trafford from Ajax in 2022 but has come under pressure during his second season at the club. United sit sixth in the Premier League table after Wednesday 2-1 win over Chelsea, nine points behind the leaders, Arsenal, while they have struggled in Europe. Continue reading...

Plus: Everton, Liverpool and both Manchester clubs losing on the same day and more 1970s goalkeepers going up for cornersMail us your questions or tweet @TheKnowledge_GU “With all the talk of one-team/farmers leagues, and the modern trend for serial winners like Bayern, Ajax, Man City and PSG, I’d like to know which of Europe’s leagues is genuinely the most competitive, with the most different winners over the last 10-15 years,” writes Ben Phillips. It’s not entirely new for a handful of clubs to dominate in one country, but most leagues were more competitive in the past. The newly formed Bundesliga, for example, had seven different winners in as many seasons between 1963-64 and 1969-70, which has approximately 0.00% chance of happening again. Nowadays, Germany is the most high-profile example of a league that has had the same winner for at least a decade: Bayern Munich are aiming for a 12th consecutive title. Continue reading...

Ajax Amsterdam have hired their former head coach Louis van Gaal as an adviser, the Dutch club said on Tuesday, as they look to end a string of disappointing results.

Ajax's league away game against RKC Waalwijk was abandoned in the 84th minute after RKC goalkeeper Etienne Vaessen was knocked unconscious in a clash with an opposing player.