Manchester United backroom appointment holds key role in Erik ten Hag's new tactic
Man Utd are looking to improve their style of play ahead of the new season.
Manchester United used 21 players in their first match of pre-season against Rosenborg. It was telling the only player who stayed on throughout was their goalkeeper.
Radek Vitek not only warranted a full 90 minutes based on his individual performance, but also because there is an extra focus on the role of goalkeeper in the United side going forward.
Half an hour before kick-off United announced the appointment of Jelle ten Rouwelaar as their goalkeeper coach, a coaching change they view as integral in their ambition to rejuvenate the department.
It feels like every summer United have laid out grand plans to transform their style of play, with an emphasis on playing out from the back and utilising a more modern goalkeeping approach in which passing accuracy is scrutinised as much as save percentage. So far it has been in vein. Andre Onana certainly brought a more expansive skillset to the position when he arrived a year ago, but the instances in which they were showcased remained few and far between.
That is something United are quickly looking to change. Technical director Jason Wilcox has been tasked with implementing a clear game model and football methodology across the men’s first team and academy, and will work closely with Ten Rouwelaar to ensure the goalkeeping approach is aligned with his vision. United want to become better in possession and play with a high press, dominating matches more than they have done in the past. A lot of that starts with Onana in goal, who is not only their last line of defence, but their first line of attack.
That is exactly what Ten Rouwelaar did at Burnley, who excelled in the Championship with a similar style of play before reaching a ceiling in the Premier League when their approach wasn't effective enough against a higher quality of opposition. He will have extra quality at Old Trafford though, and the hope is his intricate training sessions will have the same impressive impact.
“Jelle is experienced with English football and he has some great innovations in goalkeeping, a new approach and it’s very interesting,” said Erik ten Hag. “I’m convinced he will really help our game, as a team, but especially the keepers, as a squad, as a team, their position in the team and how they’re aligned with the rest of the team and playing as a collective.”
United will hope Ten Rouwelaar is a keeper.