Sir Alex Ferguson has sent his best wishes to new Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag and told him to “get in control” of the failing club.
Ten Hag was last week confirmed as the Red Devils First Team Manager on a three-year deal with an option to extend that for a further 12 months. The Dutchman becomes the fifth permanent successor to Ferguson since the legendary Scot hung up his hairdryer at the end of the 2012/13 season.
United have failed to win a single Premier League title since Sir Alex’s retirement and are now in the midst of their longest trophy drought in a generation, with their last silverware coming in the summer of 2017 with the Europa League.
Since Ferguson left Old Trafford; David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer have all failed to hit the heights their illustrious predecessor, while interim boss Ralf Rangnick has endured a difficult half-season in charge.
The German tactician will hand control over to Ten Hag at the end of the season, but will likely do so with United out of the Champions League. And while results on the pitch have faltered, there have been numerous reports of disillusionment and unhappiness behind the scenes, with a major overhaul anticipated this summer.
And Ferguson - appearing on RTE Racing in his capacity as co-owner of horse Clan des Obeaux - broke his silence on the appointment of Ten Hag and revealed his hopes for the latest man to take the top job at Old Trafford.
Asked if Ten Hag could be the man to turn United’s fortunes around, he replied: “I hope he does well, the club needs someone to get in control and I hope he does well.”
Ferguson is understood to have taken a backseat during the long process to appoint Ten Hag, with Football Director John Murtough taking the lead of the search for the first time.
“During the past four years at Ajax, Erik has proved himself to be one of the most exciting and successful coaches in Europe, renowned for his team’s attractive, attacking football and commitment to youth,” Murtough said after hiring Ten Hag.
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“In our conversations with Erik leading up to this appointment, we were deeply impressed with his long-term vision for returning Manchester United to the level we want to be competing at, and his drive and determination to achieve that.
“We wish Erik the best of luck as he focuses on achieving a successful end to the season at Ajax and look forward to welcoming him to Manchester United this summer.”
