Seems clear to me that ETH prioritises a ball player in the 6 position over defensive strength, so this link makes sense.
I don't think we've ever had that type of player/role at United before so it's an exciting prospect. We've had creative players like Veron, Scholes, Pogba but they've always been paired with at least one more defensive minded midfielder. Carrick and Matic were DMs who could play, but much stronger defensively and not as creative as the kind of 6 I think ETH is aiming for.
Short term, ie this season, I suspect the plan is to have Ruiz or De Jong starting deep, with Fred in front bustling about. Inverted full backs to help pack the middle of the pitch. Longer term, ie next season, it'd be interesting what kind of midfielder ETH would go for.