Erik ten Hag reveals what he has to ‘take away’ from Man Utd because of Sir Alex Ferguson

However, their league form has been terrible, to put it mildly, and regardless of their trophy claims, the league remains a mirage for Man Utd fans.

The Man Utd squad still support him with Jonny Evans recently singing the Ten Hag’s praises, but the expectations at Old Trafford can’t just be about winning a trophy every season.

Sir Alex Ferguson set a high benchmark, and while fans have caught up to expectations since his retirement, his specter looms.

Ten Hag has now revealed what he has had to deal with at United because of the legendary Man Utd manager.

Erik ten Hag on Sir Alex Ferguson’s effect on Man Utd

It is not worth repeating the praise that Sir Alex Ferguson achieved at Manchester United. The statue in front of the stadium and the stand that bears his name speak volumes.

Since his departure, however, the club have gone through a managerial change and, while there have been many false dawns, United still look as far away from the title as they did under David Moyes.

Ten Hag was the man who was heralded as the one to bring change and eventually drag United into a new era and the first season was very promising.

Unfortunately, United have not only gone backwards, they have gone into free fall with results and performances.

Ten Hag recently spoke to the media and said he has done well to win two trophies, but at no other club is the weight of expectation as high as at Old Trafford and every manager since Sir Alex has had to face it

He said: “One thing for sure is that there is hardly any club in the world where the exceptions are as high as Manchester United and that has been set since the Sir Alex era. The rest of us who come after have to deal to this

“But it’s good, that’s why you want to be here. It’s a big challenge, but it also demands the highest standards in every process, and obviously we’re not there in every process.”

Ten Hag’s “process” must be convinced

While Ten Hag’s quotes here echo the sentiment of many fans, it’s also not often that he acknowledges that his team is coming up short or falling short.

Ten Hag has a tendency to go into self-defense mode as soon as his style of play is criticized, while his streak of two trophies in two seasons is already leaving fans yearning for more consistency.

So while expectations at the club are certainly high, they are not as high as they were a decade after Sir Alex’s departure.

For starters, the Ten Hag himself is still in the job after guiding United to their worst ever Premier League finish last season and 14th place after seven games this year.

It’s worth repeating that almost every manager before him has been sacked for less and supported far less than the Dutchman.

In that regard, his process needs to start yielding results soon, or at least show some direction to convince fans that the team is in good hands.

That hasn’t happened so far and no amount of expectation management by invoking Sir Alex Ferguson’s name can help right now. Only victories can.

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