Erik ten Hag says Sir Alex Ferguson “is Man United” and believes he will remain available to help in their bid to return to the top, despite leaving his ambassadorial role.
The Old Trafford giants have struggled since the Scot bowed out as Premier League champion in 2013, with the club failing to make a sustained title bid since.
Ambitious Ineos are looking to revive the fortunes of the 20-time English league winners after Sir Jim Ratcliffe became co-owner earlier this year, leading to some uncomfortable and wide-ranging cuts.
Around a quarter of United’s workforce has gone as part of those changes and it emerged this week that Ferguson was stepping away from his reported £2million-a-year ambassadorial role.
The 82-year-old is said to have reached an amicable agreement to cease those duties at the end of the season, but such decisions are having an impact on people around the club.
“Of course it has an impact on us,” manager Ten Hag said. “Sir Alex of course is Man United. He built Man United to where the club is now.
“It impacts us, but on the other side also we know and Sir Alex knows and he wants to see a winning Manchester United.
“I’m sure he’s always available for every advice and we will need him, definitely in the short term again as we did in the last two-and-a-half years I am here.”
Asked if he regularly talks to Ferguson, the under-fire United boss said: “Yes, so now and then we have good contact I would say.
“So, once in half a year I meet formally with him, but also of course informal around games I meet him.”
Ferguson is sure to be an interested observer as quick starters Brentford arrive at Old Trafford as United seek just their third league win of the season.
The Red Devils have endured their worst ever start to a Premier League campaign, entering the weekend 14th in the standings with just eight points to their name after seven games.
It is their lowest tally at this stage of a league campaign since Ferguson was in charge in 1989-90, when United had seven points and ended stumbling home in 13th.
The Scot was given time to turn things around, but patience is wearing thin with Ten Hag, who called some of the speculation about his future over the international break “fairy tales” and “lies”.
“At the moment we can’t match the standards he set, but still we won trophies,” he said, nodding to the Carabao Cup and FA Cup triumphs he oversaw.
“Remember, six years before this club didn’t win trophies so we are coming back, so we are returning, but it is also obvious that we are not there.
“But then what is very important, we need all the processes right and that we can construct a team, that we can line up the best players to construct the best teams.”
#PL preparations 🔋#MUFC pic.twitter.com/1YCRwSIEni
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) October 18, 2024
Ten Hag added: “One thing is sure that there’s almost no club in the world where the expectations are so high as at Manchester United and that is set in the era of Sir Alex.
“Then the rest of us who come after have to deal with this, but that’s nice. Therefore you want to be here, it is a big challenge.
“But also it demands the highest standards in every process and obviously we’re not there in every process.
“We didn’t get so far to challenge for the Premier League, for the Champions League title, but of course that is the ambition.
“That is what this club has and what the expectations are, but still we manage to win some trophies.”
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