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Rob Dawson, Correspondent
Erik ten Hag has admitted that the end of Sir Alex Ferguson’s employment at Manchester United will “impact” the club, but insists the former manager will still be available to offer advice to players and staff.
United have decided to axe Ferguson’s role as ambassador as part of wider cost-cutting measures. The 82-year-old has been earning around £2 million-a-year since stepping down as manager in 2013.
“Of course it has an impact on us, Sir Alex is Man United,” Ten Hag told a news conference on Friday.
“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 Man United, I’m sure he’s always available for every advice and we will need him definitely in the short term as we did in the last two and a half years I am here.”
Ferguson enjoyed unprecedented success at Old Trafford, winning 13 Premier League titles and the Champions League twice in 27 years at the helm.
He remains the last United manager to win the title and since his departure more than 10 years ago, the club have slipped from the top of English football.
“At the moment we can’t match the standards he [Ferguson] set but still we won trophies,” said Ten Hag.
“Remember, six years before this club didn’t win trophies so we are coming back, we are returning.
“But it is also obvious that we are not there but it 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.”
United face Brentford at Old Trafford on Saturday looking to end a run of five games without a win.
Ten Hag’s team won the same fixture last season thanks to two late goals from Scott McTominay, who has since moved to Napoli. The midfielder has been winning fans with his performances in Italy and Ten Hag says the club would have never sanctioned his departure had it not been for the Profit and Sustainability Rules that encourage transferring academy graduates.
“I’m very happy for Scott,” said Ten Hag.
“As I said when he left I didn’t want this but that’s the rules the club had to deal with the fair play rules and the rules are not great. The rules, I would even say are bad, but that’s the situation that’s created by the rules and forced us to make this decision.”