Rio Ferdinand has warned Erik ten Hag of the 10-year problem he'll need to fix at Manchester United this summer if he becomes the club's new manager.
United look to be closing in on the Ajax boss, with reports this week suggesting he has agreed a three-year deal to take over at Old Trafford. Ten Hag has emerged as United’s preferred candidate in recent weeks and was interviewed for the role last month.
If and when his appointment is confirmed, the Dutchman will arrive at Old Trafford during a crucial summer after what has been a dismal season. With a number of players set to leave, and question marks over the futures of others, the 52-year-old could have his work cut out for him.
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United’s business in the transfer market over the past few years has been heavily criticised, with United finding themselves sliding further down the table despite spending more than their rivals. Ferdinand himself believes just one signing has improved since joining the club over the past decade, and the former defender has warned Ten Hag of the task facing him this summer.
“I’m not talking just the last couple of windows, I’m talking eight to 10 years since Sir Alex Ferguson left, it hasn’t been good enough. So that needs to improve drastically, get the right players in," Ferdinand told his FIVE YouTube channel.
“Not necessarily world superstars, but get the right characters and personalities to come in and help drive the culture that is going to allow us to challenge for a sustainable amount of time – not just a here today, gone tomorrow concept. That’s vitally important.
“The next window that’s coming, if it’s Ten Hag, I want to see what type of player he is going to be bringing in because it’s very different to be recruiting a player for Ajax than it is for someone like Man United. The expectations, the pressure, have they got the right character, the right minerals to handle the demands at Man United.
“The demands at Man United are very different to the demands at Ajax – no disrespect to Ajax, who have big demands in their country, but this is on a worldwide scale now, very different. You make a mistake at Man United and it’s worldwide news across different media platforms all over the place. With all due respect, it’s very different to Ajax.”
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