Jaap Stam has denied reports that he is in talks to return to Man United but admitted he is more than willing to help out at Old Trafford if asked.
On Tuesday, Italian publication TuttoMercatoWeb published a story saying that Stam had been contacted about a role that would see him serve as a link between United’s technical staff and the club.
But in an exclusive interview with Mail Sport that same night, Stam denied those claims.
“We’re not in talks… I haven’t heard anything about it,” he said from the Smithfield Hall bar in New York City.
He continued: ‘Because I’m here (in the United States)… so I haven’t had any contact with people or anything like that.’
Jaap Stam spoke exclusively to Mail Sport at Smithfield Hall bar in New York
The Dutchman believes that his compatriot Erik ten Hag should be given one more year at United
Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his new United leadership team are weighing up whether to sack Ten Hag
However, Stam, who recently signed to coach Dutch amateur team DOS Kampen (his boyhood club), refused to rule out a move to United.
“If they also want me to help them in some way, I will always be willing to do that,” he said.
Of course, United currently have another Dutchman in their dugout, Erik ten Hag, and Stam believes it would be a “wise decision” to give his compatriots a third season in charge.
In Ten Hag’s second season in charge, United finished eighth (the club’s worst league result in 34 years) and recorded a -1 goal difference.
Ten Hag’s man-management skills were also questioned when he fell out with Jadon Sancho after publicly criticizing his training performances, while the club’s disorganized defense saw goalkeeper Andre Onana face the third-most shots among goalkeepers. of the Premier League.
However, Stam believes ten Hag deserves more time, amid the club’s links with Mauricio Pochettino following his departure from Chelsea.
“If we talk about tactics, how to play football and what he wants, I think Ten Hag is a good coach,” Stam said. “And he knows what to do.”
United limped to eighth place in the league but could still win a trophy this weekend.
Stam, seen after winning the 1999 Champions League final, was part of United’s historic treble.
Aside from United’s inconsistent form this season, ten Hag has faced criticism over the club’s recruitment of players. John Murtough led United’s transfers as the club’s director of football (the club announced his departure last month), but United have signed several players who worked under ten Hags at previous clubs, with Antony and Sofyan Amrabat proving to be big flops.
Stam believes it is unfair to attribute the club’s recent transfer failures solely to ten Hag.
“The only thing that people don’t always know… all the players that come into the club, people always think it’s the coach’s decision,” he said.
‘That’s not really the truth. “The coach can talk about players, of course, and maybe has a say in the decision-making, or not always the final decision on bringing in players.”
Stam, a three-time Premier League winner and member of the famous United team that won the Champions League in 1999, came closest to criticizing ten Hag when the topic of human management was broached.
The former defender would not say whether Ten Hag’s personality was a problem, citing the fact that he was not present in the locker room, but acknowledged that the Dutch’s characteristic directness can annoy people.
‘I think when you come from Holland, when you go to a different country and also a different culture, you also need to change yourself a little bit. You can’t always think: ‘Okay, this is how I work in Holland.’ And that’s how I react in Holland,’ she said.
‘The Dutch are very direct, yes, we say what we want to say. It’s not always good. No, sometimes it doesn’t help the other person, sometimes it doesn’t help yourself either. “Sometimes you also need to be a little more political.”
Whether or not Ten Hag remains in charge beyond this weekend, Stam is confident in the team’s chances in Saturday’s FA Cup final against Man City, as he told a crowd of more than 60 fans. United during a speech.
Ten Hag’s management has been criticized in some corners, although not entirely by Stam.
Man City edged out their rivals in the 2023 final (above). Stam has chosen United to win this year
“I think (United) is going to win,” he said. “We all know City’s quality, City have also shown it,” he said.
“Starting this season… (United) have shown they can prepare for a game.”
Stam, who previously managed MLS teams such as Reading, Feyenoord and FC Cincinnati, may not be long at sixth division side DOS Kampen: He admitted that he is “waiting” for an offer from the elite to be presented.
Could that come in some form from United?
“I will start there (at DOS Kampen) in a month and a half in July,” he said.
‘But knowing, they also know that if I can go somewhere else, I can leave immediately. “So it’s not a job that I signed the contract, so I’m stuck in this club and I can’t go anywhere else.”
