Eric ten Hag has turned out to be one of the most exciting coaching prospects on the European circuit since taking over at Ajax. Previously having coached FC Utrecht, he showed qualities and exceeded expectations with his gameplay and execution.

When he took over at Ajax, he implemented a 4-2-3-1 formation that often stretched to a 4-3-3 during defending. Ten Hag’s coaching style is inspired by Johan Cryuff and later Pep Guardiola’s treble winners’ style that he learned while being the coach of Barca Reserves during Pep’s time in Catalunya. He urges his team to keep possession of the ball, defending high up the pitch and attackers to make runs into spaces behind the defense.

This makes him an excellent candidate to coach Lionel Messi’s Barcelona someday, and given the relationship between the club and the manager, it doesn’t seem to be very far. His playing style depends a lot on the ball carrier who links the defense to attack, a role that Frankie de Jong managed to execute to perfection last season.

This makes Ajax an extremely dangerous team on the counter, a tactic that they used to beat heavyweights like Juventus and Real Madrid last season. They could have made Spurs their victims as well, but only for a certain Lucas Moura. Eric ten Hag has na excellent relationship with the Ajax hierarchy, especially Director Edwin van der Saar, one of the many reasons he chose to stay back in the Netherlands in summer, despite having offers from abroad.

With his possession-based football and swift counter-attacking style, ten Hag is not only reviving Ajax but the national team as well, and he surely has a long way to go in the coaching circuit.

(As written by Priyansu Ganguly)