Mitchell’s Manchester Memoires…
Mitchell van der Gaag, who once roamed the Old Trafford sidelines like a tactical meerkat beside the stern-faced Erik ten Hag, has fondly reminisced his time with the Red Devils. Describing his two-year adventure as “wonderful,” he looks back with enough glow to outshine a stadium floodlight. But oh, the grumble in the glitter comes from their tango with the Europa League—United spiraled out at the quarter-final stage as Sevilla waltzed their way to a 5-2 victory on aggregate. It was a bitter pill that left a taste like undercooked Sunday roast.
Despite the Europa League mishap, Van der Gaag remembers a season one jam-packed with enough thrills to fill a dozen trophy cabinets. Finishing third, snatching the Carabao Cup, and strutting to the FA Cup final—he knew the Premier League was like playing chess with lions, full of unexpected pounces and a few chewed pawns. Yet, things went quirky-coo-coo in the second season! Matches that started like a rocket meter ended like a huffed-up balloon—winning one minute, losing the next! Just like chasing your tail, even when they nabbed the FA Cup.
From this masterpiece of mayhem, Van der Gaag learned the erratic dance of Premier League football. With its twisty tactics and circus act strategies, it was football samba that he thoroughly enjoyed—making him the ringmaster coach over at FC Zürich today. As he steps away from the red smoking flares of Manchester, his eyes twinkle, fixated on future football carnivals. Go on, Mitchell! Bring that football fiesta to the Swiss Alps! 🏆
