Jaap Stam has warned Erik ten Hag that he needs to 'get the right people' if he wants to be a success at Manchester United.
The Manchester Evening News understands that Ten Hag is the preferred candidate for the permanent position at Old Trafford and that Ajax are expecting him to leave. If the Dutchman is to take over at United, he has a daunting task ahead of him as he tries to bring the glory days back to the club.
United's 1-0 defeat to relegation-threatened Everton last Saturday left their chances of reaching next season's Champions League hanging by a thread. They are now six points off fourth place as we head into the final stretch of the season.
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Offering his fellow countryman advice, Stam explained what Ten Hag would need to do to help restore United to their former glories. The former United defender told Voetbalprimeur : "The most frustrating thing for me is that you don’t see a clear way of playing football at Manchester United.
"If you look at the managers they have had, I wonder if they were given the time or could get it across to the players who were there at the time. The question is also whether the players could translate what a coach wanted; that’s not always the case.
"In the beginning, people still go along and say that you get time, but you don’t get that at a top club. The owners may fully support you and give you the time and space to build up something; the outside world thinks differently.
"As soon as things don’t go your way and you don’t get any points, the grumbling often starts. A club like Manchester United has to compete for prizes every year, but they don’t settle for a 10th place in the first year so that you can finish in the top four the year after.
"That is too romantic. That is why it is so important for Erik to gather the right people around him that can help him in that respect. Not only on a football level but also on a personal level. How do you present yourself and express yourself?"
Stam has been linked with a return to Old Trafford and has said that he would be open to it. "In principle, I am open to any role at Manchester United," the former Reading boss explained.
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