Revealed: Erik ten Hag had ambitious 10-year plan at Man Utd as former Red Devils coach admits ‘problems just seem to go on and on’

Ten Hag's two-and-a-half years at Manchester United failed to live up to the hype, as the Dutchman was relieved of his duties at Old Trafford in October with the Red Devils down in 15th place in the Premier League and struggling in the Europa League standings. Former Manchester United first-team coach McCarthy, who spent two years with the Red Devils under Ten Hag, has now revealed that the Dutchman had drawn up a 10-year plan for his stint at Old Trafford.

Speaking to BBC Sport Africa, McCarthy said: "I was given an incredible opportunity to work with one of the biggest and best clubs in the world under the guidance of Erik ten Hag.

"I learned utmost professionalism because the manager I worked under was not just a disciplinarian, but he was the best and one of the most unbelievable professionals I've ever seen in the game.

"Extremely hard-working, very dedicated, very passionate, he planned on being the Manchester United coach for the next 10 years. That was his vision."

McCarthy also revealed that he is uncertain as to what exactly has been going wrong at Manchester United, as the Red Devils have been stuck in a downward spiral since Sir Alex Ferguson's departure in 2013. The former South Africa international added: "Honest to god, I don't know what the issue is. It is just such a huge football club and the problems just seem to go on and on - and I don't know how they're going to resolve it."

The Dutchman has not returned to coaching since his departure in October 2024 and has confirmed that he won't return to the field until the start of next season, with it not yet known which club he will resume his career with.