Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has revealed why he has brought in Bafana Bafana’s all-time leading goalscorer, Benni McCarthy, to his backroom staff.
McCarthy joined his boyhood favourite club as a striker’s coach. He was in attendance when United locked horns with Rayo Vallecano in their final pre-season match at Old Trafford yesterday.
The 44-year-old South African football mentor adds to the list of Mitchell van der Gaag, Steve McClaren, Eric Ramsay, Richard Hartis and Craig Mawson on Dutchman’s backroom staff.
In an interview with MUTV, Ten Hag explained in detail why he roped in the former AmaZulu and Cape Town City coach.
“There was still one place in our coaching staff that I wanted to fill in,” said the 52-year-old manager.
“I wanted someone with a different voice, and Benni has the experience. He was a manager, he was a coach at a professional level, and he was a former striker, a really successful striker as well. He will focus on the positioning and attacking stuff.”
The former Ajax Amsterdam coach further stated that: “It won’t only be the strikers. It will be the integration of full-backs and midfielders because our way of play has to be dynamic.”
Meanwhile, the ex-Porto and Blackburn Rovers frontman reckons that the club supporters will see a different Manchester United in the upcoming season under the tutelage of Ten Hag.
“The mentality around the club is now completely different. The manager has addressed the issues, and hopefully, this season, you will see a completely different United and a different hunger among the players. The smallest chance that these players get should be grabbed with both hands,” McCarthy stated.
“We hope that we can challenge to get in among the Champions League places and hopefully change the dynamics of the [Manchester ] Citys and the Liverpool.”
United will play their first league match against Brighton on Sunday, 7 August, at Old Trafford Stadium.
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