Man United manager Erik ten Hag aimed a jibe at incoming Liverpool boss Arne Slot's record at Feyenoord... the Dutchmen could become fierce rivals next season, so who came out on top back in Holland?

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We all love a bit of needle between managers, don't we?

Everyone remembers the rivalry between Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger when Manchester United and Arsenal were vying for the title. 

Wenger also had his fair share of run-ins with Jose Mourinho, while the former Chelsea boss loved getting under the skin of Rafael Benitez whenever he could.

But everything has become a bit too nice in the Premier League these days. We have become accustomed to Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp and Mikel Arteta sharing bear hugs with one another before and after games. Where has that added spice on the touchline gone?

Well, perhaps it could be about to return. Erik ten Hag got the ball rolling on a potential rivalry earlier this week when asked for his view on Arne Slot's Feyenoord after they finished second in the Eredivisie, seven points behind PSV Eindhoven.

Erik ten Hag aimed a jibe at incoming Liverpool boss Arne Slot's Feyenoord record this week

Slot is due to arrive at Liverpool this summer, and Ten Hag has played down his achievements 

Ten Hag told Voetbal International: 'People have been going overly lyrical about Feyenoord.

'Feyenoord were steady this year, but not top. PSV Eindhoven were two classes better in all areas. In terms of dominating the ball, in terms of putting pressure, in terms of intensity, you name it.'

He added: 'PSV Eindhoven were better than the rest by such a long distance, even so much better than Feyenoord.'

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Ten Hag may have just been paying the ultimate compliment to PSV, but it is hard to ignore the strong possibility that this was a subtle dig at Slot prior to his summer switch to Liverpool.

And Ten Hag could still be in the Old Trafford dugout to welcome him to the Premier League next term.

His reign at the Theatre of Dreams had looked set to end following Saturday's FA Cup final, but after pulling off a shock win against Manchester City at Wembley, Ten Hag may now stay.

If he does, it could mark the start of a fascinating head-to-head battle with Slot, but which Dutchman enjoyed greater success back in Holland?

Let's start with how they fared against each other in matches between their two teams.

Across four matches, the pair could not be split. Slot's AZ Alkmaar team beat Ten Hag's Ajax twice in 2019 and 2020, but Ajax gained revenge when Slot moved to Feyenoord, getting the better of their rivals in 2021 and 2022.

Ten Hag and Slot faced each other four times in Holland between 2019 and 2022

Both managers won two games against each other, with nothing to split them in their head-to-head record

Ten Hag holds the edge in terms of trophies, having won three Dutch titles to Slot's one

It's a small sample size, and their overall records in their homeland give a better idea of the bigger picture.

Both men have managed two clubs in the Eredivisie, with Ten Hag taking charge of Utrecht and Ajax, while Slot has coached AZ Alkmaar and Feyenoord.

Ten Hag won 56 of his 111 games at Utrecht, leading them to the Dutch Cup final and a top-four finish.

His win rate dramatically improved when he moved to Ajax, as he won 159 of his 215 matches at the helm.

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This meant he left the Netherlands in 2022 with a 66 per cent win rate.

By comparison, Slot won 32 out of 58 games at Alkmaar, and 97 of 148 with Feyenoord. That's an overall win rate of 63 per cent.

The margins could not be much tighter, but there is one category where Ten Hag clearly has the edge - trophies.

He won three league titles and two Dutch Cups with Ajax, while also taking them to the Champions League semi-finals in 2018-19.

Slot has one title and one Dutch Cup to his name from his time at Feyenoord, but was unable to oversee a sustained period of domination like Ten Hag.

Ten Hag has added another two trophies to his collection at United, and they could keep him in his job for another year.

He may well hold a slight upper hand over Slot for now, but the new Liverpool boss will want to set the record straight when he arrives on Merseyside.

Slot has previously been involved in a spat with Jose Mourinho, and is unlikely to be pleased with Ten Hag's dig at his Feyenoord side

Ten Hag's jibe could spark a fierce rivalry with Slot if he remains in charge at Old Trafford

It is unlikely that he will have taken too kindly to Ten Hag downplaying his success, and Slot is not one to keep his opinions to himself either.

He was involved in a war of words with Mourinho when his Feyenoord side faced Roma in the Europa League last year, and there was no backing down from either man.

Should Slot get the chance to pit his wits against Ten Hag again, we probably won't get a bear hug between the pair. 

And that's what we all want, right? England's two most successful clubs with managers that aren't each other's biggest fans.

Football is built on rivalries, and that includes on the touchline. If Ten Hag gets the nod to continue at Old Trafford, his showdowns with Slot will be well worth watching.