Wolves are still looking for a new manager, and an interesting new report has emerged about Erik ten Hag.
Wolves parted company with Vitor Pereira on Sunday following the abysmal 3-0 defeat to Fulham at Craven Cottage in the Premier League.
Pereira’s position as Wolves manager had simply become untenable, following a string of lacklustre performances, bad results and fans turning on him.
Wolves are now trying to find his successor, but have not yet made a breakthrough.
Gary O’Neil withdrew from the process to become Wolves’ manager earlier this week, and then attention turned to Rob Edwards.
But the Middlesbrough manager again played down talk of him leaving after his side’s draw with Leicester City.
It’s now been reported that Wolves naming a new manager before the Chelsea game is unlikely, and one man who could be heading elsewhere soon is Erik ten Hag.
Erik ten Hag held meeting with Ajax director, amid Wolves links
Interest from Wolves in ten Hag was reported earlier this week, but there have not really been many significant developments since.
It was claimed ten Hag was reluctant to manage Wolves due to the club’s precarious league position. But counter-claims have since been made, suggesting he could be open to managing Wolves and rebuilding his reputation.
But today Dutch publication AL have made an interesting claim.
And that is that ten Hag actually had a meeting with Ajax director Alex Kroes on Monday.
Apparently, it was ‘just a coffee appointment that had been planned for some time’, but Kroes and ten Hag were said to have spoken extensively.
The suggestion from AL is that the groundwork is being laid for a potential return to the club for ten Hag.
At the moment, pressure is mounting on Johnny Heitinga, whose side are fourth in the Eredivisie and eight points off leaders Feyenoord. In the Champions League last night, Ajax were soundly beaten 3-0 by Galatasaray, and they sit rock-bottom of the League Phase table with four defeats from four.
Ten Hag to Wolves looking unlikely
AL reckon ten Hag is the ideal natural replacement for Heitinga, as he is revered at the club following his successful stint from 2018 to 2022.
Interestingly, it’s stated that Kroes’ fate is linked with Heitinga, and the suggestion is that an intervention from the director is ‘inevitable’.
There’s no word here about how ten Hag actually feels towards a return. But there is surely going to be some draw to a job that really put him on the map as a manager.
| Erik ten Hag Manchester United record |
| Games managed – 128 |
| Wins – 72 |
| Draws – 20 |
| Losses – 36 |
| Goals scored – 234 |
| Goals conceded – 180 |
| Trophies won – 2 |
He drew a lot of criticism during his time at Manchester United and then of course, he was brutally sacked after just three games in charge of Bayer Leverkusen.
His reputation has taken a hit, and a return to Ajax would seem logical for him. It certainly feels a much less risky move for him than to go to Wolves.
It is currently unclear if Wolves are ready to make a serious play for ten Hag. But if that is the intention, Wolves’ hiring team of Jeff Shi, Matt Jackson and Matt Wild may have to get a move on.