![Pinterest](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://uknews.evprotec.com/how-ajax-fell-apart-after-erik-ten-hag-left-for-man-utd-and-what-brighton-can-learn-from-it/&media=https://uknews.evprotec.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/0_Untitled-1-20.jpg&description=Former head coach's departure is one of three central pillars to have collapsed since early 2022 - and the route back is complicated as years of selling best talent sees current squad struggling for domestic wins Brighton's expansive team of analysts will have been keeping a close eye on Ajax within minutes of the teams being drawn in the same Europa League group. Yet there may also be a wider point of interest for Albion because this can easily be framed as a tale of caution from a former forerunner of well-run football clubs to the current darlings of smart strategising. The Eredivisie giants begin Group B at home to Marseille on Thursday in complete disarray. Four games into their league campaign they sit 12th of 18 and were comfortably beaten 3-1 away to Twente last weekend having drawn 0-0 against Fortuna Sittard in the match before. But this may not be a blip, simply a continuation of a spiral that began around the same time as Erik ten Hag departed to Manchester United. Except there is far more to their freefall than a change in the dugout. In Amsterdam they have long talked of three central pillars that the club is built around: chief executive, director of football and head coach. All three have collapsed in the past two years. Replacing Ten Hag has been the core issue. Upon his departure, the 53-year-old delivered an interview reminiscent of Sir Alex Ferguson's farewell speech that sought to reassure fans that he was leaving the club in fine fettle. "We've made progress and become Europe-proof," Ten Hag said. 'A foundation has been laid.' Except, like United post-Fergie, the replacements have been unable to cut it. After Ten Hag came former assistant Alfred Schreuder, who lasted 26 games before being replaced by John Heitinga for the rest of the season. He oversaw a mild uptick in fortunes but new man Maurice Steijn is already under pressure. Their problems did not begin with Ten Hag deciding to leave, however. The first pillar cracked a couple of weeks be){kind=link}
Former head coach’s departure is one of three central pillars to have collapsed since early 2022 – and the route back is complicated as years of selling best talent sees current squad struggling for domestic wins
Brighton’s expansive team of analysts will have been keeping a close eye on Ajax within minutes of the teams being drawn in the same Europa League group.
Yet there may also be a wider point of interest for Albion because this can easily be framed as a tale of caution from a former forerunner of well-run football clubs to the current darlings of smart strategising.
The Eredivisie giants begin Group B at home to Marseille on Thursday in complete disarray. Four games into their league campaign they sit 12th of 18 and were comfortably beaten 3-1 away to Twente last weekend having drawn 0-0 against Fortuna Sittard in the match before.
But this may not be a blip, simply a continuation of a spiral that began around the same time as Erik ten Hag departed to Manchester United. Except there is far more to their freefall than a change in the dugout.