Footballer who played under Arne Slot and Erik ten Hag reveals who is the better manager
A footballer who has played under both Erik ten Hag and Arne Slot has revealed who he thinks is the better manager.
Manchester United and Liverpool will renew their rivalry early in the new Premier League season, with the two giants set to meet at Old Trafford at the end of August.
United have fallen way behind Liverpool in recent years, with Jurgen Klopp turning the Anfield side into one of the best in Europe.
The Klopp era came to an end at the end of last season, with Arne Slot replacing him.
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After months of speculation, United won't be making a managerial change of their own.
On Thursday United confirmed that Ten Hag has signed a one-year contract extension to keep him at Old Trafford until 2026.
The Dutchman impressed during his first season at United, ending a six-year trophy drought by guiding them to victory in the 2022-23 Carabao Cup.
However, he came under intense pressure last season as United finished eighth in the Premier League, although they did win the FA Cup.
There will now be two Dutch coaches on the touchline when United and Liverpool next meet.
Dutch midfielder Mark Diemers is one of the few players to have played under both managers, Ten Hag at Utrecht and Slot at Feyenoord.
When asked by ESPN Netherlands which manager is better, Diemers sided with the incoming Liverpool gaffer.
"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 arrives at Liverpool having never managed outside of the Netherlands, but he impressed during his three-year spell in charge of Feyenoord.
He guided the club to the Eredivisie title in 2022-23, before adding the KNVB Cup to his resume last season.
Topics: Manchester United, Liverpool, Erik Ten Hag, Arne Slot, Premier League, Jurgen Klopp, Football
Alex Brotherton