A footballer who has played for both Erik ten Hag and Arne Slot has shared his opinion on who is the superior manager.
Manchester United and Liverpool are set to resume early rivalry in the new Premier League season, with the match scheduled at Old Trafford at the end of August.
In recent years, United have lagged behind Liverpool, with Jurgen Klopp transforming the Anfield team into one of Europe’s best.
Klopp’s tenure concluded at the end of last season, with Arne Slot taking over. Despite months of speculation, United will not be changing their manager.
On Thursday, United announced that Ten Hag has signed a one-year contract extension, keeping him at Old Trafford until 2026.
The Dutchman made a strong impression in his debut season at United, ending a six-year trophy drought by leading them to victory in the 2022-23 Carabao Cup.
Despite this success, he faced significant pressure last season as United finished eighth in the Premier League, though they did secure the FA Cup.
The next meeting between United and Liverpool will feature two Dutch coaches on the sidelines.
Dutch midfielder Mark Diemers is among the few players who have played under both managers, having worked with Ten Hag at Utrecht and Slot at Feyenoord.
When asked by ESPN Netherlands which manager is better, Diemers chose the incoming Liverpool coach.
“I choose Arne Slot. I can only talk from my time. I found Ten Hag insanely good tactically, so were his training sessions,” he said.
“I just didn’t think he was very good, at that time, on a human level. But that was already six or seven years ago. I thought Slot was a lot stronger on a human level.
“Look at what kind of clubs [Ten Hag] has worked at, so he must also have qualities on a human level. I still have contact with him via WhatsApp. Then he also comes across as very friendly to me. He will undoubtedly have grown on a human level as well.”
Slot joins Liverpool after an impressive three-year tenure at Feyenoord, marking his first managerial role outside the Netherlands.
During his time at Feyenoord, he led the team to win the Eredivisie title in the 2022-23 season and added the KNVB Cup to his achievements last season.
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