Everton will create hostile atmosphere ahead of Man Utd clash | Football Digest
A trip to Goodison Park is a daunting proposition under normal circumstances. However, Manchester United must battle an Everton side carrying a siege mentality on Sunday after being dealt a 10-point deduction in the Premier League. And their task has been made more complex by a glaring absence in the dugout.
Erik ten Hag will serve a one-match suspension on Merseyside, having received three yellow cards against Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and last time out against Luton Town.
Eric Ramsay, Steve McClaren and Benni McCarthy will remain present alongside Mitchell van der Gaag, who is set to be the primary voice in the dugout.
Fellow Dutchman Van der Gaag arrived at United alongside Ten Hag from Ajax last summer and has been a prominent figure since.
The Red Devils manager often turns to his assistant to consult before making substitutions, and he also doesn’t shy away from giving players instructions during breaks in play.
Van der Gaag’s coaching history extends far beyond his partnership with Ten Hag, though, stretching back to 2008.
The 52-year-old had coaching spells at Maritimo, Belenenses, Ermis and NAC and managed at FC Eindhoven and Excelsior Rotterdam before joining Ajax.
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He has developed his tactical and technical know-how over 15 years and is fluent in six languages – Dutch, English, Portuguese, German, French and Spanish.
Van der Gaag reportedly takes control of United’s training sessions, while Ten Hag chimes in when he deems fit to drill down a specific instruction.
He has a reputation for overseeing detailed training drills. One of his methods is said to be getting players to make intense sprints before handing them different football scenarios.
The Dutchman had previously suffered a worrying health scare that some United supporters may not be aware of, though.
In 2013, after guiding Belenenses to the Portuguese top-flight in his first season, his heart stopped in the home dugout before being brought back to life.
Matt Jones, an ex-Belenenses goalkeeper who now coaches in the United States, recalled the scary ordeal to The Athletic last year.
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“His heart stopped… he was dead. He collapsed on the bench 30 minutes into the game against Maritimo, and it got stopped for a while,” Jones said.
“It was only at half-time we realised what had happened because it was so quick and sudden. A defibrillator was in the dugout and used to bring him back to life.
“It was scary for us as players. Luckily, he had a pacemaker built in, and it did exactly what it was supposed to.”
After his collapse, Van der Gaal took a break from football before returning to action in 2015, where he resumed his journey to the coaching heights he has reached with Ten Hag.
United’s temporary boss this weekend has a fascinating back story, and he’ll be deservedly praised if he can guide the visitors to three points at Goodison Park.
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