One of English football’s traditional rivalries will have a Dutch flavour this Sunday when Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag and Liverpool’s new manager Arne Slot go head to head. They have faced each other five times in the Netherlands previously and have quite a few managerial traits in common.
With both hailing from the east of the Netherlands, they started their first-team managerial careers in the Dutch Second Division. They proved their credentials early on with Slot reaching the semi-final of the Dutch Cup with SC Cambuur and Ten Hag guiding Go Ahead Eagles to the Eredivisie. It earned the latter a move to the second team of Bayern Munich, where he would work during Pep Guardiola’s time at the Allianz Arena.
The Manchester City manager is a big inspiration to both Dutch bosses, with Guardiola’s style of football also having an influence on them. When Ten Hag and Slot faced each other for the first time as head coaches on 25 January 2017, a historic moment took place in Dutch football. Slot had recently taken over at SC Cambuur, where he was appointed in a co-interim role with Sipke Hulshoff, who is now Slot’s assistant at Anfield. Ten Hag was in charge of Eredivisie side FC Utrecht when the pair met for the Dutch Cup quarter-final.
Slot’s side were leading 2-1 late in the second half when a high ball was played in their box, which Utrecht striker Sebastien Haller controlled with his chest and then aimed at goal with a bicycle kick. His attempt hit a Cambuur defender who also handled the ball and that led to a penalty. The video assistant referee (VAR) was deployed and for the first time in Dutch football, the referee reversed his decision after reviewing the footage on screen.
Utrecht would go on to equalise, but Cambuur won the subsequent penalty shootout. It made for happy scenes and their goalkeeping coach Rene Ponk remembers the influence of Slot very well. “We would often play in a 4-3-3 formation, but in possession one of the full-backs or wingers would go and play inside as a midfielder, which would result in a square shape, creating an advantage in midfield which would often force opponents to make adjustments,” he said.
